


The Never Ending Adventure

by pocketconstellation



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: AU, F/M, Fairy Tales
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2019-06-14 11:59:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 33,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15388296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pocketconstellation/pseuds/pocketconstellation
Summary: A wish made on a whim leads Natsu and Lucy on a grand new adventure through a series of fairy tales. In true Fairy Tail fashion, these are classic stories with a twist...or maybe two or three! As Lucy and Natsu struggle to reach their "Happily Ever After", they begin to carve their own stories and realize that sometimes, the best fairy tales are the ones you create on your own





	1. Prologue

Perhaps it was the author in her that made her yearn for a little something…extra. With the effluence of words flowing through her head, it was only natural that her imagination would spin wondrous tales, stories she could only dream of! Every time she picked up her pen, a new world would unfold before her very eyes, and it was simply dazzling.

Or perhaps it was the hopeful little girl inside her. After all, what girl didn't wish of being swept off her feet, cradled safely in the arms of a Prince Charming? Who didn't dream of the magic words, "Happily Ever After"? Ball gowns and daring rescues…these were the things of every girl's fantasy!

Either way, Lucy Heartfilia found herself lost in her own tangled thoughts that very night. Yet another long day had passed at the Guild, and she was eager to return home.

It was a warm night, a beautiful night, one where it seemed anything was possible. Her feet lightly danced across the ledge of the canal, as she hummed the words to a tuneless song. Suddenly, she paused to take in the night sky.

"Plue, isn't it beautiful?" She half-sang, twirling under the stars in delight. Her arms wrapped around her little pet, Lucy stood with her face raised to the pale moonlight. She held her breath as the stars appeared to twinkle at her, laughing at her awe.

"It almost makes you wonder…" Her voice trailed off. Standing alone on the ledge, Lucy couldn't help but to feel infinitely small. Her world, Fairy Tail, couldn't possibly compete against this grand universe. Would she ever be able to cross every plain, climb every mountain, and traverse through the entire world?

A slight breeze ruffled her hair as she stared up into the starry night. It was Natsu's fault, she decided. His contagious enthusiasm for adventure had left her thirsting for a grand new one. A small smile graced her lips as she thought of the pink-haired boy who was probably sound asleep in her bed…wait, what? Her good mood suddenly vanished.

"He's dead tonight!" She muttered furiously, striding along the ledge to her apartment. The peaceful moment was lost.

For a second, Lucy hesitated. It would be a shame to leave such a lovely night without at least making a wish. She tucked her foot behind her ankle, and quietly whispered something on a whim.

"I wish for," she said slowly, pondering on what exactly she wanted to wish for. She had already found her family, her rightful place in the world. Fairy Tail was the beginning of something magnificent in her life, and she never wanted her fairy tale to end.

Only a few short strides away, there lay a pink-haired boy, snoring in what he claimed was the most comfortable, most wonderful creation in the world—Lucy's bed. In between large snores, faint snatches of mumbled words could be heard.

"Lucy…adventure…" Natsu slurred, his mouth hanging open. "Don't ever want…to stop…"

"A never ending adventure," the two mumbled in unison. Despite the distance, those two had momentarily shared the same thought, dreaming of the same dream.

And with those words echoing into the empty night, Lucy prepared herself to deliver yet another one of her ruthless Lucy kicks. As Natsu screamed in terror, their simple wish was forgotten.

Little did the two know that a faint glimmer in the sky had twinkled back in response to their brief wish. Tonight was, after all, no ordinary night. For a fleeting moment, if one was watching carefully...Perhaps one could catch a glimpse of a shooting star streaking through the night sky.


	2. A Cinderella Story

Lucy groaned, blearily rubbing her eyes. Her head was throbbing more painfully than the time she had been cajoled into a drinking contest by Cana (frankly, it was  _impossible_  to say no to the loud-mouthed brunette…). Just when she thought her headache couldn't get any worse, high-pitched squeals sent her into another wave of misery.

_Wait…those voices…it couldn't be?_

Lucy bolted out of bed, raging at the idea of uninvited visitors daring to break into her apartment. Every nasty curse was on the verge of leaving her lips as she fumbled with her doorknob, jostling it open. And then she stopped.

The door swung wide open, revealing pale green walls and clashing purple curtains, which were  _certainly_ not hers (she prided herself on her good taste, after all). If not her apartment, then…where was she?

"My…apartment?" She whimpered pitifully. Lucy felt her head began to pound again, praying that this was a dream—or maybe a nightmare, those curtains would definitely haunt her for days…

"ELLA! ELLA, YOU'RE AWAKE!" The squealing had returned.

"NNNgggh?" Lucy moaned, still in a state of shock. She blinked a couple times, finally focusing on two very familiar faces. "Wendy? Levy?!"

At this point, Lucy began worrying about her current state of mind. Was it safe to receive so much trauma in such a short amount of time?

"Oh, Ella-chan! You won't believe the most amazing thing I've just heard!" Levy shrieked, choosing to ignore Lucy's dumbstruck expression. She danced around Lucy, waving her arms madly. "There's going to be…" Her voice trailed off in excitement.

"A BALL!" Wendy chimed in.

"A BALL!"

"A BALL!" The two girls chorused, spinning each other around in dizzying circles.

"A…ball?" Lucy repeated. Had her world flipped completely upside-down?

Clearly unimpressed by Lucy's lack of enthusiasm, Levy and Wendy stopped dancing and leaned in to peer at Lucy worriedly.

"Ella-nee, are you feeling alright?" Wendy asked, concerned. "It isn't like our older sister to act like this!"

_They keep calling me Ella…_

_And there's a ball…_

_Older sister?_

Lucy fell over in a dead faint. Suddenly, everything was clear as crystal…or should she say, as clear as glass?

_I'm CINDERELLA?_

* * *

And once again, Lucy found herself opening her eyes with yet another agonizing headache.

"Oh, Ella-nee, are you okay?" Wendy peered down at Lucy. "That was quite a fall!"

"Wendy," She groaned. Then she paused. Was this actually Wendy, the kind Dragon Slayer, or simply just a character playing a part? Was she the only one who still remembered Fairy Tail? Did anyone even recognize her as Lucy Heartfilia? For now, it seemed the best plan of action was to play along until she finally figured out how to extract herself from this mess.

"Tell me about the ball," She said instead. Lucy frantically tried to recall one of her favorite childhood stories. At these times, she was thankful to be a writer. It would make logical sense that if she allowed the story to progress, it would reach an end, right? And that end could finally take her back home where she belonged.

Wendy looked a little doubtful, but eagerly launched into the story of the King's announcement.

"There's going to be a ball in three days for the Prince! Everyone knows he's of marriageable age, and it's about time he finds a bride. And every maiden in the country is to be invited!"

"And I suppose I'm not allowed to go, right?" Lucy said. This was her element! She relished in her knowledge, she knew exactly what was going to happen…

"Why do you say that, Ella-nee? Don't you want to see the prince?" Levy had just walked in, holding a cool washcloth in her hands.

Lucy felt her jaw drop. "Aren't…aren't you guys my stepsisters?"

Levy and Wendy exchanged a glance, certain that their beloved Ella had lost control of all her mental facilities.

"Of course we are," Levy began applying the cool cloth to Lucy's forehead. "Don't you remember?"

"Shouldn't you be…meaner?" Lucy questioned in shock. "No making me slave away on your behalf? Sew your dresses? Clean your floors? Lick your shoes?"

"Perhaps you really should sit this one out, Ella-chan. You really aren't making any sense," Levy said anxiously.

Lucy felt strangely unprepared. These fairy tales…they weren't the classics her mother had lovingly told her. No, these were different, unpredictable, wild…

Exactly how a story should be.

* * *

On the other side of town, a similarly chaotic scene was playing out. Never had a town faced such a monster, such a beast—as the terrifying demon known as Natsu Dragneel.

"He's eating the fire!" A woman screamed.

"Is he crazy? Save yourselves!" The townspeople ran terrified, trying their best to avoid Natsu's rowdy rampage. Sadly, that was a reaction he was rather accustomed to, and simply ignored it.

"Mmmph!" Natsu groaned. "This is some good stuff!" He cackled, stuffing sticks of fire down his throat.

Finally full, Natsu decided to explore this strange, exciting, and delicious place he had crash-landed in. One moment, Lucy's deadly foot was buried in his gut, and the next, he was sent flying into…well, wherever this was. He was almost proud of his partner's ferocious kick, which he considered quite Erza-worthy.

As he strolled down the street, a passing reflection quickly caught his eye. He gazed into the adjacent shop's window, and suddenly realized why the entire town had scampered off in fear.

"Oh fuck! The hell am I in a dress?"

To his horror, he had sprouted wings, his puffy blue dress had practically swallowed him whole, and was that  _body glitter_?

Natsu would have certainly made Fairy Tail's Mavis proud, as he had surprisingly turned into quite a lovely fairy.

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo, anyone?


	3. The New Fairy Godmother

Natsu was grateful, at least, that no one he knew had seen him yet. If the ice-princess had  _ever_  caught a glimpse of him, Natsu knew he would never live it down.

He stood there, traumatized at his reflection. His toned biceps, while were normally quite nice if he does say so himself, awkwardly protruded from the glittering mess of a dress he was wearing. The lacy bodice strained against his torso, seams threatening to burst. His crash-landing had dented the scratchy blue underskirt, giving him the illusion of a lopsided cupcake.

"How the hell does Lucy wear these things?" He scoffed, scratching at the itchy material.

While he had always admired Igneel's wings, these wings were what he deemed  _wimpy_ —soft, white, and girly. He suddenly perked up. But if he had  _wings_ , he could fly, right? Just like Happy!

"Alright!" He fist pumped. The cheerful boy had never failed to find a bright spot in a dark situation, after all. "I wanna go show Lucy!" He took a running leap, and launched himself into the air with unsurprisingly little grace.

The entire town stared up at the disturbing image of a dress-clad boy with wings flying in the far off distance, rubbing their eyes as if trying to erase the terrifying image they had just seen.

 _Perhaps it really_ was _time to adjust their medication_ , they all thought in horror.

* * *

Lucy had discovered that the more things changed, the more they stayed the same. Nice stepsisters? Why not? No chores? Sounds great! But the revealing of her stepmother had utterly shattered those illusions.

"Damned brat! If you dare try to go to the ball," Aquarius glared threateningly. "I will personally murder you— _twice_!"

Lucy sweated nervously.  _This Aquarius somehow is_ exactly  _the same as the real one…_ But this was good, she told herself reassuringly. It seems that the story had retained some of its traditional aspects, which could only lead her closer to finishing the story.

"Um—" Lucy tried to interject meekly.

"Are you  _interrupting_  me? After all I've done for you, taking care of your worthless ass when your mother died! I don't see why you would ever need to go to the ball. After all, you don't even have a  _boyfriend,_ " Aquarius scoffed. "Now go and assist your sisters to prepare for the ball! And you better make sure the girls look damn  _gorgeous_ when we get back!"

She spun around fiercely to leave, her nose turned upwards in disgust.

So Lucy had expected a nice stepmother. Mirajane, maybe? Now  _that_ would be lovely. Perhaps that was expecting a little _too_  much…This wasn't going to be easy, was it? But on the bright side, she had…

"Ella-nee?" Two pairs of arms wrapped around her soothingly. Wendy and Levy looked at her comfortingly. "Ignore Mother.  _We'll_  help you get ready for the ball!" Wendy said cheerfully.

"Besides, it won't be any fun without you!"

"You're going to come anyway, right?"

Lucy sighed. Cinderella had to go to the ball in the story, so she should too, right?

"Of course. Now come on, let's get ready." She took the hands of her stepsisters and tried to ignore the strange feeling that she was forgetting something…

* * *

"Don't you ever wonder what the Prince is like?" Levy said dreamily, her face propped up against her hands. "He must be so handsome."

Wendy paused in her styling of Levy's hair, blushing innocently. "He-he must be!"

Lucy almost smacked herself with her hairbrush. Of course! The Prince! How could she have forgotten that there would be a prince in Cinderella? If the trio of bluenettes, Levy, Wendy, and Aquarius, were her stepsisters and stepmother, respectively, then who from Fairy Tail would be the prince? Her thoughts immediately jumped to a certain-pink haired boy. Could it be…?

"Oh my god,  _no_!" She yelped, heat rising in her face.

Levy smirked. "What was that, Ella-chan? You don't think he'll be handsome?" She twirled in her beautiful yellow taffeta gown. "Oh, I can't wait! What if he asks me for a dance?"

Wendy giggled. "May I?" She cutely asked, offering a gloved hand to Levy.

Levy curtsied. "You may."

Watching her two friends—no, stepsisters waltzing in her room, Lucy couldn't help but smile sadly. She felt almost lonely, and she desperately wished for the real Levy and Wendy. Even the real Aquarius would do!

As Lucy began placing the finishing touches on her outfit, a sharp rap on the door broke her out of her reverie.

"Open up!" A voice roared.

Lucy shot up immediately. It was a voice filled with warmth, and a delightfully familiar one…

"Natsu?"

* * *

"You have…wings!" Lucy shrieked. "Wings!"

She had thrown open the door, revealing Natsu in all of his winged glory. He crossed his arms, pouting.

"Way to be sensitive, Lucy! I hate those!" He complained.

"Lucy? You know I'm Lucy?" She shrieked again.  _God, that girl was loud._

"Well, yeah, who else would you be?" Natsu said, rolling his eyes. He hadn't flown all this way just to hear her scream at him! He had simply been flying by, when he caught a glimpse of a very familiar head of blonde hair. There she was! The girl he had been looking for! Now that Lucy was here, he couldn't help but to feel slightly better about his situation.

"And a dress! Oh my god, the  _dress_!" She kept muttering, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Natsu had sat through enough of her angry rants to realize he just needed her to let it all out. When Lucy broke down into giggles though, he just got huffier.

"Lucy!" He whined. "I came to find you so you could  _help_  me, not  _laugh_!"

Lucy sank to her knees in a puddle of pink silk. She howled with laughter. Perhaps all the strangeness had finally caught up to her. She was freaking Cinderella, sitting in a fairy tale with two nice stepsisters and one angry stepmother—wait, that one was slightly normal! But here she was, getting ready for a ball without the help of her fairy godmother, but  _poof_ , she—he! had arrived anyway. And it was  _Natsu_!

When she finally recovered, Natsu was still pouting slightly. "Luce! What the heck is even going on? Why are you wearing  _that_?" He curled his lip at her dress—he had had enough of dresses for a  _long_ time.

"Natsu," Lucy sighed. "Have you ever heard of fairy tales?"

"Lucy, why are you so weird? We practically  _live_ at Fairy Tail! How could you forget?"

Lucy smacked herself on the forehead. "Fairy  _tales,_ not Fairy Tail! The stories! Why do I even bother? You probably have never heard of them."

"You mean those "Happily Ever After" type things?" Natsu interrupted.

"You've heard of them?" Lucy felt her jaw drop.

"'Course! Makarov used to tell them to me and ice-boy all the time!"

Then he added in almost an afterthought, "Not that you should tell anyone that."

"..."

"So, you know the story of Cinderella? Well," Lucy drawled out dramatically. "Ta-dah! Here it is!"

"Where?" Natsu said, trying to peer around her.

Lucy smacked him on the head. "You're inside the story! I'm Cinderella!" She tried to suppress her giggles, but failed. "And you're the…"

"Fairy  _Godmother_?" Natsu guessed. Then he paused. "Wait, you're  _Cinderella_?" His cheeks puffed up with laughter. "But you're no princess!"

Lucy smacked him again. "Idiot! I make a fine princess, thank you very much! Are you ignoring the fact that  _you_  are the ridiculous one in wings?"

Adopting a more serious tone, Lucy gestured for Natsu to sit next to her. "Look, Natsu, no one recognizes us here. It looks like it's just the two of us who actually are from Fairy Tail…And I have absolutely no idea how we can even get out of here!"

Natsu plopped down ungracefully in his hideous dress. "Isn't it obvious, Lucy? We have to finish the story!"

"But I don't know how! Look at this!" Lucy pointed at her dress. "I'm ready to go to the ball, since I never needed your help in the first place! In the original story, Cinderella was dressed in rags. The Fairy Godmother waved her wand, and everything was suddenly fixed. But why doesn't this Cinderella need fixing?"

"The story…it's not the same." Natsu realized, his eyes widening in understanding. "Who's to say it'll end the same way?"

"Exactly!" Lucy huffed in relief. It was almost reassuring to have the Dragon Slayer's warmth next to her. Even though they were trapped in this convoluted story, she couldn't deny that she felt unbelievably safe.  _We'll get through this together, just like in the past…_

A soft hand gently patted her on the head in comfort. She looked up at Natsu, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. "Well, there's one thing left to do right?"

"Huh?"

Natsu laughed at her confusion. "We gotta go to the ball!"


	4. Pumpkins Galore

Although Lucy had gone on some frighteningly strange adventures with Natsu, this one clearly took the cake.

"Pumpkins!" Natsu bellowed, trampling through the gardens with the grace of a…well, dragon. He twinkled (yes, he  _twinkled!_ ) in the dimming sunlight, the glittery blue dress clashing with his pink hair. "Lucy, did ya find the fucking pumpkins?"

"If you weren't so picky," Lucy grumbled, "we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place! Just what exactly is wrong with a watermelon?"

"You know it has to be a pumpkin! It said so in the story!" Natsu argued. If he had to be the Fairy Godmother, he was going to be the damned best, greatest Fairy Godmother there ever was! And that meant sticking to the story! That ice-queen could never compete with him now! Even Laxus would fall to his knees in defeat…no one would beat his newly found Fairy Godmother prowess!

Lucy shook her head as Natsu began cackling, dreaming of his rivals' imminent defeats. "You're an idiot. Can you even use magic anyway?"

Natsu shrugged. "Haven't tried."

"It would be  _just_  like you to trap us in here forever 'cause you couldn't use magic." Lucy groaned.

 _Zap!_  With a wave of Natsu's hand, Lucy's dress had turned—

"Green!" She wailed. "Green with purple polka dots?" She had yet, it seemed, to forget those dreadful curtains that first greeted her.

Natsu doubled over in laughter.

 _Zap!_ Yellow, brassy, metallic stripes joined the fro.

 _Zap!_ Lucy felt her fury rising as princess cap sleeves the size of Happy blossomed out of her once lovely pink ball gown.

"Cut it out!" She growled, whacking Natsu with the first heavy object she found. Instantly, her dress changed back to normal.

Natsu shuddered, clutching his head in pain. Erza's influence on Lucy was growing stronger by the minute. He didn't dare say it aloud, but sometimes he thought he would in fact prefer if it was Erza doling out the punishments. Lucy was just…terrifying.

"Natsu! Look there!" Lucy said, suddenly excited.

Mad one minute, happy the next?  _She's so weird_ , Natsu mused.

He looked to his left, where that godforsaken whatever-it-was that had hit his head had rolled away. He focused his blurry vision on something that looked faintly orange, exactly what he had been looking for...

"Pumpkins!?"

* * *

"ELLA! When we come back home to your sorry ass, you better have dinner ready!" Aquarius snarled. The trio of bluenettes stood at the carriage, looking like things of frail enchantment, as if a fairy herself had graced her wand upon these lovely beauties. Levy and Wendy shot Lucy sympathetic looks, but their eyes were glowing bright with excitement for the ball.

Lucy meekly nodded from her place at the front door. "Have a great time, you guys!"

Aquarius gave her a glare that could pierce even Erza's armor. "Why are you so dressed up, brat?"

Lucy started to sweat.  _I was hoping she wouldn't notice!_

"Um…for making dinner?" Lucy said feebly. Levy and Wendy shot each other a desperate glance.

"I'm sure Ella just ran out of laundry, right?" Levy nudged Wendy sharply with her elbow.

Wendy's lip trembled. Oh, how she hated to lie! But if it was for Ella's sake… "Y-yes! That's why!"

There was a pause so long Lucy wondered if it was time to beg for forgiveness now. Just as she was about to crawl onto her knees and try to avoid the wrath of Aquarius…

Aquarius crossed her arms and huffed. "Whatever keeps you happy. Now let's go girls, we've got a Prince to land." With a swish of her skirts, she herded the relieved girls into the carriage.

Lucy placed a hand over her heart, breathing out a slow sigh of relief. "Natsu, let's go!" She whispered out of the corner of her mouth.

A very cross,  _very_  unsightly fairy crawled out of the bushes, spitting out leaves. "We should have just gone with my plan! A little smashing, some fists colliding, that would have been  _infinitely_ better!"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Just get the pumpkin. We don't have all day, Natsu! If you ever want to go back to our old lives again," She said threateningly. "You're going to have to follow the story. And that means no fighting!"

"Luce, you really aren't any fun!" Natsu grumbled, as he dutifully carried back the pumpkin to the lawn.

His fingers waggled playfully at the pumpkin. "How would the Princess like her carriage? Purple? Blue? Yellow?"

"Depends. How would the Fairy Godmother like to die tonight?" Lucy held up her pointed high heel for emphasis.

"Ooh, scary!" Natsu laughed. "Which reminds me, you can't go to the ball in those!"

Lucy faced-palmed as Natsu aimed a karate chop at her pair of shoes. What? He didn't have a wand...besides, wasn't he allowed to have a little fun?  _Zap!_  However, she did admire the lovely glass slippers he had crafted. She had to grudgingly admit Natsu  _had_ been paying attention to Makarov's stories.

"Thanks." She smiled.

Natsu bowed exaggeratedly. "Anytime, princess."

Slipping her new slippers on, she watched as Natsu reveled in his new magic, transforming the pumpkin into a carriage, geese into footmen, her pink dress into a delicate pale blue, and mice into horses—err, sort of horses. Her thoughts returned to the time she had imagined Natsu as a prince. Well, she certainly guessed wrong there, she decided, watching the boy run around in his puffy dress. But she couldn't help picturing Natsu looking princely, his broad shoulders nicely filling out his suit, and a warm smile gracing his face.

Lucy jumped up, blushing furiously.  _Wake up, Lucy! He's there in front of you right now, and not looking the least bit like a prince! This is_ Natsu _we're talking about!_

"Luce?" A warm breath grazed her ear. She whirled around. Natsu had come up behind her, his face too close to hers for comfort. Was it possible to for her face to get any redder? "You're looking all weird."

"F-fine! I'm just fine!" She stammered.

Natsu just looked at her, unconvinced. "Everything's ready. You should go now."

"A-alone? You aren't coming?"

"Well, I would, but…" He gestured helplessly at the wings. "Besides, Cinderella went off to the ball alone. And her Fairy Godmother said something super important right about now." He said, scratching his head. "What was it again?"

"The whole midnight thing?" Lucy prodded.

"Oh yeah! Thanks, Luce! Remember, you gotta be back by midnight, when everything goes back to normal." He took her arm, leading her to the carriage and helping her up the steps.

"Natsu?" Lucy suddenly called out, just as the carriage was about to leave. Leaning her head out of the window, she peered down at the pink-haired boy.

"Hmm?"

"This…this is our chance, right? To go back home?"

"Are you worried or something?"

"No…well, maybe. I can't help but feel that there's a lot going on that we don't understand. Does Cinderella still end the same way? With her Prince and Happily Ever After?"

"Lucy, I believe in you. You can get us through this! You—no,  _we_  are going back home.  _Together_. And we'll see Happy…and I'll get to sleep in your comfy bed…and eat your food…and visit your apartment! Everything will be back to normal." He said reassuringly.

Lucy rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly. "Alright."

"Don't forget, Lucy! You gotta do everything to seduce that prince!" Natsu declared. Suddenly, he felt nervous. Their entire future depended upon Lucy's sex appeal? Never—never had that worked once!

Lucy reached her arm out the window and whacked him. Had he said that out loud?

"I'm damned gorgeous! Now shut your mouth and let me leave!"

The gilded carriage wheels rattled as the horses began trotting. Lucy sighed, leaning back against the cushioned seat.  _It's up to me to finish the story, right? No matter what, I've got to get us home._

Just as the carriage began to pick up speed, her ears perked up at the sound of loud footsteps.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, clumsily running next to carriage. "You look..." He panted. "Nice tonight!" He shot her his famous grin, revealing his pointy fangs.

Lucy wasn't blushing, oh no, she was simply getting a little heated in the carriage...there was  _no way_  she was getting flustered at something a pink-haired Dragon Slayer in pale tights and a shimmering dress had said. It was simply  _r_ _idiculous_!

Nu-uh, absolutely no way...

Oh, who on earth was she fooling?


	5. At the Stroke of Midnight

Natsu paced around the lawn, his feet kicking up loose clods of dirt. He crossed his arms, scowling a little. Lately he had been finding himself growing bored when he wasn't with his blond-haired partner—who else could he steal an apartment from? Play pranks on with Happy? Set fire to her things? Even when she yelled or hit him (he always let her, he wasn't an idiot—he knew when he was wrong), Natsu just plain liked  _being_  next to her, no matter what she was doing.

And the idea of Lucy at the ball alone in the arms of some faceless stranger made him feel strangely unsettled. It was a weird feeling, like the one time he had eaten too much fire and felt absolutely miserable. He wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he didn't like it  _at all_.

_Maybe I could just pop in for a quick peek,_ he decided. He preferred it when Lucy was at least  _somewhere_  in his sight.

_It couldn't hurt, right?_

* * *

"And may I present, the lovely Lady," the royal steward peered down at the invitation in Lucy's outstretched hand. "El-".

Lucy clapped a gloved palm over his mouth. "Just simply Lady will do." She whispered.  _I can't risk getting caught already!_

The royal steward looked confused (she couldn't blame the poor soul, he was only trying to do his job!), but he waved her past to announce the next guest.

Gliding down the gilded stairs, Lucy couldn't help but gape at the royal castle's interior. She had grown in up a luxurious manor, but her house paled in comparison to the breathtaking beauty of the ballroom. The night skies themselves seemed to have been painted on the walls—that was the sheer grandness of the high, arching windows. Gracefully curling into a dome, the ceiling held numerous crystal chandeliers, hanging low like a cluster of starlight. One could almost reach out and pluck one of these lovely stars out of the sky if they were daring enough. Soft music whispered in Lucy's ear, urging her to sweep onto the floor and dance.

She was a mage, yes, but this was magic she had never felt before. As she slowly made her way down the steps, still reveling in the overwhelming sights, a light tap brushed her shoulder. In the corner of her eye, she could see a tall man standing in a heavily decorated uniform, complete with shiny gold lapels and embroidered cuffs.

This was the moment she had been waiting for. She turned slightly, knowing exactly what would happen next.

"May I have this dance?" A low voice murmured in her ear.

_Wait a minute!_

It was a low voice, yes, but a low,  _familiar_ voice. She had heard it countless times back in her life at Fairy Tail.

A voice that belonged none other than…

Lucy blinked. "Loke?!"

Her earlier wonder had disappeared. Instead, she felt torn between bursting into raucous laughter and slowly sinking into the ballroom floor out of utter horror.  _Loke is the prince? Loke is the PRINCE?_

Okay, maybe she was getting slightly hysterical. But she swears she had a right to! It's not every day that a girl had to face her own trusted Celestial Spirit and dance with him, and seduce him, all while trying to escape a messed-up version of Cinderella, and oh my god, this was wrong on so many different levels! Her mind was rambling now, thoughts blurring in her head.

"You know my name?"

Lucy forced herself turn and look him in the eye.  _It's not actually Loke! Focus, Lucy!_  "Everyone knows the Prince's name," She said smoothly. "My apologies for my improper behavior, Your Highness."

"Not at all. I would like it if you referred to me by name, actually." Loke—err, the Prince chuckled. He took her hand. "Shall we dance?"

Lucy nodded in agreement. She decided she would have to thank her father when she got home for putting her through torturous dancing lessons in her childhood.

And so they danced...until Lucy could no longer remember how long her feet had been masterfully moving across the floor. It could have been an eternity, or perhaps just ten minutes—time was already beginning to blur for her.

The Prince smiled down at her, lifting her up and spinning her around elegantly. The beautiful ballroom whirled along with her in a dazzling array of colors.

Lucy touched down gently on the floor. "Everyone's looking at us." She whispered, a little breathless. She would never admit it, but Loke was quite a dancer. And it was true. Clusters of fine ladies whispered to each other, seething jealously behind their fans. Aristocrats watched curiously, wondering who the mysterious beauty who had stolen the Prince's heart was. Lucy had even caught a glimpse of a shy Wendy waving at her while dancing, and Levy in the arms of a tall, messy-haired suitor. She couldn't quite catch his face, but she had a faint idea on who it was…

"No, my dear. Everyone is simply looking at  _you_." His voice was sickly sweet—saccharine and oozing like syrup.

She had to stop herself from slapping her forehead.  _Loke is the same flirt as ever, huh?_

"Would you like to step outside with me for a moment? The gardens are lovely at this time…although I daresay they are not as lovely as your eyes."

Perhaps there was something wrong with her. Wasn't her heart supposed to be pounding by now? Or shouldn't her face be tingling with pleasure? They were beautiful words, but she felt unmoved nonetheless. Judging by the icy glares she was receiving from the other girls, she knew she should have felt lucky to be in the arms of a handsome prince tonight. But it all felt  _off_ to her.

"Yes, I'd like that." She said, choosing to ignore his compliment.

And so she took his arm, reminding herself that she had to play along if she ever wanted to go home.

* * *

The scent of lavender pervaded through the crisp night air. The Prince took a deep breath.

"Nice, isn't it?" He said, strolling onto a little paved path. "I used to come here a lot—anytime I wanted some quiet, really."

"It's beautiful." Lucy admitted. "Are you enjoying the ball, Your H—Loke?"

"If I may be honest with you…I rather dislike balls."

"But isn't it being held in your favor?"

The Prince sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Not really…my father wishes to see me wed."

"And do you not wish to get married?"

"If I find someone I truly love, then I would." He leveled a hard stare at her.

This was slowly crossing into some uncomfortable territory for Lucy.

"Uh—tell me! What's your favorite um…book?" Lucy blabbered, flustered.

The Prince looked at her curiously, but decided to humor her.

And so they talked and talked and talked the evening away. Enough that Lucy hadn't realized the time was slipping by…

* * *

_Bong! Bong! Bong!_  It was the chime of the bell tower that finally jarred Lucy out of her conversation with Loke. She had had a surprisingly pleasant time with the Prince, chatting about things like two old friends.

_I can't believe I'm so stupid!_ Lucy had always laughed at Cinderella's foolishness. After all, who could forget the midnight warning her Fairy Godmother gave her? And clearly, Lucy  _had_ forgotten. She had been so entranced by the beauty of the night and let time escape from her. If only she had paid attention, and hadn't let the precious seconds run through her fingertips...

"I must go!" She shouted, leaping away from the Prince.

"But—you haven't told me your name!" The Prince tried to reach out to her.  _Bong!_

Lucy easily dodged his arm, fleeing back into the castle. "Thank you for the evening, Loke! I had a lovely time!" She was shocked at how the statement was surprisingly true.

She dashed past the jealous ladies, shoving past their swollen skirts.  _Bong! Bong!_

The confused Prince began chasing her, shouting. "Wait!"

_What time was it? How many more chimes do I have?_ She was panting now, her hair falling out of her carefully styled updo.

Her feet pounded across the floor, and there she was! She could see the door, it was so close, and if she could just sprint up these stairs…

_Bong!_ She turned around slightly, seeing the Prince closing in. As she tried to dodge him again—

_Bong!_ Her foot began to slide (curse those damned glass slippers!), and suddenly she found herself tipping over—

BONG! And Lucy hit the floor in a crumpled heap.

It was the twelfth chime.

She had failed. It was midnight.


	6. The Real Prince

The effect was instantaneous. She had hastily stood up, realizing that all eyes were on her. Her dress had melted away into a pink, shabby mess. Tangled, matted hair surrounded her face, creating the image of an unkempt old witch. To all of the guests at the ball, it seemed almost  _ridiculous_  that this ragged girl was once the envy of the entire kingdom.

A sharp pain in her feet and a trickle of something warm caused her eyes to drift downward. Her glass slippers had shattered into a thousand of tiny pieces. It was almost beautiful in a tragically gruesome way—shimmering glass dust dotted with red. She slowly raised her eyes to meet the Prince's gaze, forcing herself to look strong even through the cutting pain.

"Y-you!" The Prince gaped, his mouth moving but nothing coming out.

The entire room held its breath.

Suddenly, a high-pitched laugh cut through the shocked silence. "She's a mere  _servant_!"

A wave of laughter and cruel jeers swept over Lucy. "Bet the Prince isn't so proud now!" A noble mockingly whispered to his neighbor.

"She's hideous! Just look at that distasteful hair!"

"Even my servants are better dressed than that!"

"Why would the Prince request  _all_ maidens attend the ball? Trash like her makes me sick!"

They all tittered condescendingly.

This was exactly why Lucy had run away to Fairy Tail. The cutting remarks, the subtle jabs—this was how the rich and privileged truly behaved, and she had experienced that first-hand. How could she have forgotten? Was she so simple that she only saw beautiful faces and wondrous sights, forgetting the poison hiding underneath?

The most beautiful things in the world were also the cruelest—and the ball was no exception. The spell had been broken, complete with Lucy's transformation, all at the stroke of midnight.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "Please!" She called out to Loke desperately. She wasn't sure what she was asking for exactly. At this moment, anything would do.

The Prince barely spared her a glance. He was now roaring with laughter at the pitiless comment a malicious baroness had made. Prince Charming wasn't so…charming after all.

"Would you like to step outside with me for a moment? The gardens are lovely at this time…although I daresay they are not as lovely as your eyes." He had offered to the baroness, already moving on to his next conquest.

This cruelty was simply too much for anyone to bear. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the noise. Never had she felt more  _alone_  in the world. The sting of her bleeding feet could not compare to the searing agony of humiliation she was facing. It was like death by a thousand paper cuts, with each harsh comment adding a fresh new wound. Could she somehow meet her end this way, being devoured by her own pain?

She had failed. A tear slowly crawled down her cheek. She had  _failed_.

And now she and Natsu would never go home.

Suddenly, she heard a new noise join the fray.

"FUCKING BASTARD!"

For a second, Lucy froze. Were her ears betraying her? And then unmistakable warmth had welled up inside her, because she had caught a glimpse of someone who she desperately wanted to see.

He was  _here_.

* * *

Natsu had only just arrived when he saw his Lucy, his strong, wonderful Lucy, begin to cry. And if there was anything that angered him more than the ice-princess, it was Lucy's tears.

"WHO DID THIS?" He roared.

The aristocrats began to scream and scramble away, cowardly pushing their neighbors behind them.

And Natsu only grew angrier, his rage completely overtaking him. The temperature of the room began to rise. Flames obscured his body, as if he was an avenging hero just entering the battle fray. It was a terrifying sight to behold, but a wonderful one for Lucy.

He pulled his fist back, and felt only satisfaction as his fist landed squarely on the Prince's jaw. The Prince toppled backwards rather ungracefully, but Natsu didn't stay to watch.

The fire was spreading now, ash and smoke filling the room.

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled, crossing the room in large strides. He began pushing people out of the way in his urgency to get to Lucy, finally arriving right in front of her.

He reached out and gently wiped a tear from her face. "You're hurt…you're bleeding!"

Lucy only began to sob harder.

"Natsu! It-t's all my fault!" She whispered. "I forgot about midnight! An-nd now we can't go home!"

Natsu shook his head. "It doesn't matter now. You're still bleeding!" He bent down, grabbing something Lucy couldn't see.

"What are you doing?" She asked, sniffling.

Although ash was raining down on them, the screams of panicked guests echoing in the background, it felt as if they were the only two people in the room. All Lucy could see now was Natsu on his knees, staring up at her with an undefinable expression.

"Here." He was holding his black sandals in his outstretched hand. "I'll put them on for you."

He gently slid them onto her wounded feet, just like a prince would. As Lucy looked down at him, his brow furrowed in concentration, his hands tenderly holding her feet, she felt… _right._ That strange feeling that had followed her all night had finally disappeared. A rush of warmth rose up in her for the pink-haired boy, and she smiled softly. Natsu always seemed to be coming to her rescue, and never once had he failed her. She had never felt so  _safe_ until she had met him, so warm and comfortable. And she hadn't realized this before, but maybe, just maybe—

Maybe the prince had been in front of her all along.

A flicker of gold surprised her out of her reverie.

"Natsu!" She pointed at her feet in shock.

A tiny light bobbed behind her ankle, twinkling mysteriously. And then another one emerged, and then another! The sudden flickers of gold began to appear everywhere, as if dancing a strange dance only they could understand. They wrapped around her legs, slowly inching up to her torso. Lucy gasped. The lights were now enveloping her and Natsu, swirling so thickly she could hardly see.

Natsu groped around in the brightness, blindly reaching for Lucy's hand. "Just hang on to me, alright?"

"O-okay!" She closed her eyes shut, holding his hand tightly.

Wendy, who had previously been trapped in the crowds of terrified guests, ran out towards the golden spectacle in the middle of the ballroom. "Ella-nee!" She stared in astonishment as Lucy and Natsu began to fade away, the lights glowing brightly. Only a few moments later, the sparks had dissipated, leaving Wendy to wonder whether they had truly been there at all.

With the heavy smoke, only she had seen Natsu and Lucy's disappearance. She knew right then that this was magic,  _true_  magic. It had never been quite real to her, but after Natsu's fiery display and the mysterious golden lights, she was now convinced. For some strange reason, an unexplainable feeling urged her to keep quiet about what she had seen. And to this very day, Wendy refuses to talk about the strange sight she had witnessed, knowing in her heart that this was something beyond the lives of ordinary people.

Reaching her hand in the air, she caught a few of the smoldering remains of Natsu's wrath, the soot still swirling in the air. "Cinders…" Wendy murmured. Right before Lucy had disappeared, Wendy remembered that large flakes of ash had fallen on her, dusting her hair and shoulders like snow. There was something beautiful in the way the grey dust had enveloped the girl, as if she had risen from the ashes herself.

Wendy closed her eyes and whispered a quick farewell. The image of her sister Ella, soot catching on her long eyelashes and trailing down her hair, was still fresh in her mind. She had no idea what urged her to say it, but it just felt  _right_.

"Good-bye…Cinderella."

The story had, it seemed, been completed after all.

* * *

Lucy had no idea what was going on. Her eyes were tightly shut, and it seemed that the world around her was spinning in dizzying circles. The only thing she felt certain about was the warmth of Natsu's hand tightly holding hers. For a second, all was well.

Until a strange force suddenly ripped them apart.

"Lucy!" He shouted, his grasp loosening. "I can't hold on!" And with that last shout, his hand disappeared from hers.

"Natsu!" She shrieked, her fingers grasping empty air.

And now she was falling, falling, falling down a long tunnel into—

Something soft?

She opened her eyes, blinking groggily. Could those lights have somehow taken her home?

She struggled to get up, peering at her surroundings.

Oh no. Oh no, no, no, no.

This was most definitely  _not_  home.


	7. The Princess in the Tower

Lucy gulped. Just where was she this time?

Really, there were so many  _better_  places she could have landed. A field of exquisite flowers, the glittering white sands of the beach, a picturesque forest, perhaps? All perfectly lovely.

And this place was most definitely  _not_ lovely.

It was dark, gloomy with the scent of something earthy—mildew, maybe? She gingerly felt the ground that she was sitting on, noting the strange silkiness of the floor. This was the softness she had felt earlier, but what was it? Her eyes strained to see past the darkness. The only light that existed filtered through the window in strange horizontal lines—moonlight creeping through the barred window.

Lucy let that thought sink in. Things were clearly not looking up for her. Was this a jail? A dungeon? A…cage? Which would mean…dare she say it? _I'm not alone…_

As if to answer her, the floor creaked loudly. Someone—or something was coming toward her.

She took a deep breath and steeled her nerves. "N-natsu?" She called out, her eyes screwed shut.

The creaks came closer, ignoring her.

_Creak._

_Creak._

Lucy could feel her heart thudding. She was helpless, her legs shaking too hard to get up.  _Okay, this is it. I'm never going to write my novel again, eat cake with Erza, get revenge on Natsu and Happy for their pranks…there's too many things I haven't done yet! I'm too_ young _to die!_

And then she was hit by something with the force of a steamroller. She fell backwards onto the ground, a heavy weight pressing into her stomach.

Lucy shrieked. The sort of shriek she normally reserved for spiders or Gray stripping or worst of all, freaky voodoo dolls (what? She had been on some awfully  _weird_ adventures with Natsu…).

To her surprise, she was not the only one shrieking. If possible, this was even more deafening than hers was—high pitched and sharp as glass.

In the darkness, Lucy could make out the faint silhouette of someone sitting on top of her, pressing a knee into her gut.

"Y-you! What the hell are you doing in my tower?" It screamed, brandishing a rather terrifying frying pan.

"I—I didn't mean any harm! I was just passing through!" Lucy tried to say, but the words never came out of her mouth.

It was hard to talk after you had just been walloped by a frying pan, after all.

* * *

Natsu had landed in a  _much_  more comfortable situation than Lucy had. Well, unless you were Natsu, of course.

The expensive interior of a carriage had caused his face to rapidly change colors. He was curled up on a rather repulsive cushion, his sick, green complexion clashing horribly with his pink hair.

He gagged pitifully. The clattering wheels of the carriage he had suddenly appeared in reminded him of his precarious state every few seconds. There was only one thing in the world that could stop him, the very bane of his existence!

Transportation. Those evil moving  _things_ that caused his stomach to gurgle and his head to spin in dizzying circles. Those very things that Lucy made him take every time she was too lazy to walk. Did she not see the pain he was going through?

Why? Why must his short life draw to a close in such a terrible way?

Just when Natsu really thought his nausea would overtake him, the carriage thankfully stopped.

"Oh, bless the lords." Natsu moaned, stumbling his way out. "I'm free!"

He fell to his knees, kissing the ground. "Civilization! I have returned!" Content to remain in his position, Natsu decided to wait for his queasiness to subside.

His relief was interrupted by some very loud, very boisterous cheers. He looked up, still reeling from his traumatic experience. A crowd of people formed around his carriage, barricading his path.

"Your Highness has arrived! The Prince is here to rescue our beloved maiden!" They shouted.

"Three cheers for our Prince!"

"We have been saved!"

Natsu stood up and looked around, swaying slightly. Where was the Prince everyone was talking about? He felt a quick rush of anger, remembering the awful Prince he had punched before he had disappeared into the golden lights. As soon as he found the Prince again, Natsu would give him another firm smack down after what he had done to Lucy…

He tried to step past the crowd, but the tugging of his sleeve stopped him.

A pair of rugged hands had clasped his and clutched them to her heart. Blue, vibrant eyes looked into his, sparkling with wet, unshed tears. "Prince…please help our princess!" A stoutly midwife cried, grasping Natsu's hands tighter. "You are our last hope!"

Wait a minute. Had that lady just called him...the Prince?

He was the Prince?!

If only Lucy could see him now...

* * *

Lucy forcibly opened her eyes, whimpering a little at the throbbing pain in her head.

"So, you're awake." A feminine voice said coolly.

"Is this how you typically greet your guests? Smack them with a frying pan?" Lucy quipped. Her hand reached up to try and rub her bruised forehead, but it was instantly tugged back—she was tied up.

The voice snorted. "Don't try and act like  _you're_  the victim here. You were here to kill me, weren't you?"

"Kill you?"

"You're really living up to your hair, blondie. Stop being stupid…or was that not an act?"

"I'm not here to kill anyone! Look, there were these lights, and then they took me here and—"

"Way to reinforce the stereotypes." Lucy could practically hear the girl roll her eyes. "Do you ever make sense when you talk? Look, someone as dainty and prim as you shouldn't be in here unless there was a really, really good reason."

"Here? Where exactly is  _here_?"

The sky was already beginning to lighten, threads of pink slowly weaving between shades of navy blue. The darkness of the room was finally fading with the coming of sunrise. Lucy could already see the faint outline of a girl, a cunning smile gracing her face.

"Here, you ask? This is…my prison." The girl whispered menacingly.

"P-prison? But…why? Who are you?"

She laughed disturbingly. "Would you like to hear a little story, sweetheart? My story?"

Lucy didn't reply. Gone was her previously snarky attitude—there was something deadly in the air that warned her to keep quiet.

"Once upon a time," She cackled in a singsong voice. "There lived a happy couple, whose daughter was the brightest spark of joy in their pitiful existence. They led honest lives, toiling away in the dirt in their tiny garden. Although they could rarely fill their stomachs, they were content nonetheless. But right next door, there was a beautiful garden, filled with vibrant fruits and luscious vegetables. And every single day, their young daughter would crawl over the wall and wish that she could taste those wonderful vegetables, and soothe the growling hunger in her belly. And do you know what this girl did?"

Lucy shook her head.

"She decided one day to cross the wall, and take just one, mind you, just  _one_ head of rampion. And she took it home, where her family gratefully devoured the stolen food. But this wasn't enough for the little girl. So she stole away the next night, her hand reaching out for yet another handful, when the old witch next door caught her."

The girl laughed again. "And this is the part where it gets good. 'A thousand curses to rain upon your head, my sweet!' The witch cried in anger, waking up the entire town."

The girl turned her piercing eyes towards Lucy. "The villagers began to call her "Evergreen" for the few limp leaves she stole. They laughed at the girl and her petty thievery of greens." She growled. "The entire town agreed that the witch could do what she wished, and she took the girl away to punish her and lock her up for all eternity."

Lucy's blood ran cold. This story was strangely familiar…

"And so the girl grew up in a towering prison. And she learned to hate every day, to seek revenge, against all those who had let her suffer this fate. For seventeen years, she had yet to see a single soul but the old witch. And so, sweet Evergreen was mocked throughout the entire kingdom. But that was not the only name she went by, for the old witch had given her another one. "

Right then, sunlight flooded the room in a wash of brightness.

Lucy gasped. It was indeed Evergreen's face, but this one had lost all traces of its softness. No, this face was harsh and cruel, entirely different (Well, perhaps just  _somewhat_ different...Fairy Tail's Evergreen was  _terrifying_!) But that wasn't the reason Lucy gasped. The softness on the floor she had been sitting on, the ropes binding her hands—

It was hair? Glossy, brown  _hair_?

"But perhaps, you are more familiar with the name…Rapunzel?" The girl finished, her silky brown hair trailing down her back and gliding gently across the floor.


	8. Let Down Your Hair

Evergreen leaned down close to Lucy, her delicate nose almost touching Lucy's. "Well? Aren't you terrified now, blondie?"

To both their surprise, Lucy took Evergreen's hands in hers. "No." She said simply. "Although you have a rather wicked arm with that frying pan of yours, I don't think you're a bad person."

If there was anything Fairy Tail had taught her, it was that everyone could redeem themselves. Within each darkness, there was always light, no matter how small. She had seen it countless times—Gajeel, with his disgruntled behavior but unwavering loyalty in Fairy Tail, Jellal with his persistent search in redemption, and Laxus, who only sought to protect his comrades after his disastrous attempt at a coup d'état. Compassion was what her guildmates had shown her, and she would do nothing less for anyone else.

"Would they lock up a good girl like you in a prison? I don't think so! I am a thief, and a dangerous one!" Evergreen snorted, but her voice shook slightly.

Lucy only gripped Evergreen's hands tighter.

"It must have been…so lonely." Lucy said gently. "You were only a child back then…"

Evergreen was unaccustomed to the sympathy. "What would you know of it? A little princess like you could never understand what my life was like!"

Lucy's eyes grew distant as she began to remember her own childhood. It had been paradise, a beautiful safe haven that had slowly grown twisted into her own nightmare. The sadness over her mother's death had seeped into every nook and cranny of Lucy's expensive home, poisoning its previous allure. Happy memories with her father had long since faded, and Lucy was left alone, choking on her grief. She had been trapped, trapped with nowhere to go and no strength to leave.

She and Rapunzel weren't so different after all. A beautiful prison was still a prison nonetheless, but unlike Rapunzel, she had escaped.

And perhaps that was what made Lucy look intently at Evergreen, making a silent promise to the poor thief.

Natsu had rescued her from her throes of misery, and it was  _her_  turn to be the savior for once.

"I'm not letting you stay here another minute. I'm going to get you out of here!" She declared triumphantly.

* * *

It was not atypical to see a prince riding upon a gallant white stallion, his cape dashingly fluttering in the wind, in these parts of the woods. However, it  _was_ strange when the prince was absolutely, utterly, and completely  _naked._

Prince Gray had arrived in town after overhearing some predictable townsfolk gossip about yet _another_  quest. There was a rumor that a beautiful young maiden, with long hair as fine as silk, lived in a tower somewhere in these parts of the woods. While he didn't care much for damsels in distress, he figured he would give it a shot anyway. After all, what did he have to lose?

And so he went on, his horse galloping deeper and deeper into the brambles. Suddenly, he reached a clearing, where indeed, a tower had been constructed.

Could this be the tower the villagers were talking about?

On closer inspection, Gray realized that there was something…off about this tower. This structure was not made of chiseled white marble and sparkling gemstones like the town had claimed! Instead, a rather sloppily thrown together pile of rocks greeted him as he pulled up closer to the building. It was about twenty feet high in the air, thorns encircling the lower base and most suspiciously—strange signs warning visitors to "Keep Out" were haphazardly stuck in the ground in a most ominous fashion.

Gray gulped. But he was not the type of man to shy away from his mission (or rather, he told himself that, quaking in his boots a little). He slid out of his saddle, walking closer to the tower.

He cleared his throat awkwardly. Now was the time to say the magic words the villagers had told him.

"Um…fair maiden, fair maiden, let down your hair!"

He waited awkwardly.

Suddenly, a series of furious whispers came from the tower above.

"He's here! What do we do, what do we do?"

"Evergreen! You have to  _sing_!"

Gray was now even more confused. Were they talking about him?

"I don't want to! You sing!"

"But you have to seduce the Prince! That's what happens in the story, okay?"

The voices only got huffier.

"What if I don't want to? I don't need no man!"

"If you want to get out of this tower, you gotta have the Prince! So shut up and don't make me regret helping you!"

Loud bangs and fierce feminine screams rained down. If Gray had managed to see inside the tower, he would have seen Lucy and Evergreen grappling, pulling each other's hair, and digging their nails viciously into each other's arms. Thankfully, he was unable to witness the terror of two extremely angry, extremely  _terrifying_  girls attempting to strangle each other. Or that would make  _quite_  a traumatic experience indeed.

It seemed that someone had claimed a victory when everything fell silent.

Then, a scratchy voice began to sing—could you even call it singing? It was more apt to call it a screech, a horrifying noise similar to one a cat makes when dying a pitiful death. If a thousand knives slowly twisting into one's ears could have a sound, this was it. Gray covered his ears.

"What is this horror?" He screamed, almost tripping backwards in his haste to escape. He immediately jumped onto his horse, vowing to never trust the words of the villagers ever again.

This was quite a regrettable afternoon, he thought bitterly.

But little did Prince Gray know, his day was only about to get worse.

* * *

Lucy smacked her forehead. "You let him get away!" She screeched.

Evergreen crossed her arms. "Then maybe you shouldn't have let me sing!"

Lucy's left eye began to twitch. She  _did_ have a point…after all, that awful voice would haunt her dreams for days.

"Alright, fine. We'll try Plan B." She agreed. It was harder to land a Prince then it seemed!

But if in the story Rapunzel was rescued from her tower from a prince, then she needed to find one for Evergreen, right?

"Let's just wait for the next one," Lucy sighed.

There was bound to be another one passing by, right?

"But no singing." Evergreen said firmly.

"No singing." Lucy echoed.

* * *

Natsu was having the time of his life. People were giving him food, offering him drinks and free gifts, and did he mention giving him food?  _Free_  food?

"Being a Prince ain't so bad!" He said through a huge mouthful of food.

The townspeople sweated nervously. If Natsu continued eating, they would have nothing for themselves until the next harvest.

"Um…Your Highness, should you not begin your quest soon?" One politely interjected.

"Oh yeah! The quest! What do I need to do?" Natsu said, swallowing hard.

"We need you to rescue our princess, a beautiful woman with long hair as fine as silk. She's locked up in a tower right now."

"All you need to do is find the tower, and say these words. You must tell the fair maiden to let down her hair, and you will be able get inside." Another villager added helpfully.

Natsu narrowed his eyes. He knew this story! This one had been told to him countless by Makarov and even Erza (who had always been a secret romantic, even in her terrifying bullying days).

Rapunzel…

Suddenly, he brightened. If Rapunzel was the princess he needed to rescue, then that would mean Lucy was the princess! He would get to see Lucy again! This was great!

"Alright, I'm off!" He shouted to the villagers, dashing off eagerly.

He could most definitely see Lucy as Rapunzel! The long blond hair, a white flowing dress... (not that he was thinking about her or anything. No way, absolutely not!). And he would go and rescue her, just like every prince should. And she would probably be super mad at how late he was, giving him yet another one of her famous Lucy kicks. And probably beat him to death too…

Wait, why was he excited again?

Natsu ran into the woods, a boyish smile still on his face. He was going to find Lucy!

Oh, Natsu had no idea how wrong he was…

* * *

The sun had long since fallen, and Prince Gray and his horse seemed to have wandered off the path they had taken before. Peering worriedly at the trees, desperate for a landmark, Gray stumbled into yet another clearing.

"Oh my god, not again!" He cried.

It was another tower.

He had had  _enough_  of towers! Would he ever escape his miserable fate?

Gray heaved a sigh. Maybe whoever lived there would offer him some shelter for the night, or at least directions back to town.

"Fair maiden, fair maiden, let down your hair!" He called out, half hoping for no response.

To his surprise, a long braid of hair slipped down the tower through the window, just as the villagers had claimed.

Of course, if it wasn't so dark, he would have noticed that this hair was abnormally blue…

Gray began to climb up the long braid. Really, princes are so underappreciated. It was hard  _work_ crawling up a twenty feet tower using only a gigantic rope of hair!

Panting a little, Gray was about to heave himself over the window ledge when a high-pitched squeal instantly gave him a headache.

"Prince-sama! You have come to save Juvia!" The girl immediately proceeded to drag him into her tower, ignoring his cries of protest. "Oh, how I have longed to be rescued!"

Gray wept silently as the strange maiden continued her fawning.

Never,  _never_ would he go into a tower ever again. Not even if his life depended on it.


	9. Search and Rescue

Someone had to go back and bring Natsu a horse from the village, which he had so helpfully forgotten.

In his defense, he was thinking about other things! Important ones! Like rescuing Lucy from towers and old witches and spiders and—suddenly, his blood ran cold (well, he never  _actually_ felt cold, he was a fire mage, after all).

Natsu for once, had quite an intelligent thought.  _What if I'm not the only Prince in the story?_ (Natsu was in fact correct…he wasn't the only Prince, but the other one was, for lack of better words, quite occupied at the moment…). He couldn't explain it, but he had to bite his lip from growling. Imagining yet another Loke or some annoying bastard daring to steal  _his_  partner away instantly caused his fists to clench.

Oh, sweet Mavis.  _I gotta save Lucy from those perverts!_

He continued to ride deeper into the forest, peering into the thick foliage. He knew he needed to look for a tower, like in Rapunzel's story…but where was it?

Although he would never admit it, he actually paid attention to Makarov's story telling. He had downright  _hated_ fairy tales, with their sappy love story and those weak, smarmy princes. But the part that bothered him most was how easily those slimy heroes had defeated the evil dragon guarding the princess. They could never beat a dragon like Igneel, like the stories claimed! And by far the worst—the dragon always dies.  _Always!_ What was up with that?

Now that he was a prince, the true hero of the tale…could he finally deserve a princess of his own? Could the dragon finally win?

But Natsu didn't want a princess, or a damsel in distress. He wanted someone strong, courageous, and kind…didn't that sound an awful lot like his best friend?

He really had to stop thinking so much. It was starting to make his head ache.

The bright sun filtered through the leafy branches, revealing a small gap that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. Natsu's heightened senses spurred him to instinctively head in that direction. Breaking into a gallop, his horse slid through the tiny passage, revealing a small glade in the forest. His eyes followed up to the peak of a pale white, glittering tower. Jumping off his horse eagerly, he called out.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" Oh, he couldn't wait to see Lucy again!

A braid instantly fell from the window, and he picked it up, studying it curiously. This wasn't Lucy's hair! No, this braid was a familiar shade of blue…

He looked up to see a terrifying sight.

"Who dares interrupt Juvia and her quality time spent with Prince-sama?" A voice growled. Natsu gulped. Huge, scary eyes bulged out of Juvia's face, her glare darker than Zeref's robes.

"Oops?" He said weakly, as he was blasted away by a fierce stream of water.

Wrong tower.

* * *

Another day had passed, and Lucy was fed up. The only princes who had passed by were (she shuddered a little) a horrifyingly over-dressed version of Laxus, who had immediately left after Evergreen's poor flirting, Freed (who was currently sitting at the bottom of the tower as a statue—what? Evergreen had been in a particularly bad mood), and Bixlow, who had only been searching for his lost "babies" (Lucy cringed when he had appeared…why had the entire Raijinshu shown up?).

And if Lucy was frustrated, Evergreen was  _beyond_  irritated. These men were exasperating, and all she wanted was someone to break those damned bars off her window so she could finally leave! Seventeen years in this tower had really left her itching for some sunshine, and that annoying blondie who had promised help with her so-called amazing plan…

"You!" She shouted, pointing a finger at Lucy. "Your plan sucks!"

"It's not my fault that you're about as attractive as a cardboard box!" Lucy snapped. Tensions were high, and it was no wonder—this prison was simply  _too_  small for two strong-willed, determined females.

"Oh, you wanna go? Is that what you want, blondie?"

"Bring it on, hairball!"

A rather loud cough interrupted their little spectacle.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" A determined voice called out.

"Someone's here! Quick, smile!" Lucy whispered fiercely, stretching Evergreen's face into a resemblance of a smile.

Evergreen rolled her eyes, carelessly tossing her hair out the window. She highly doubted this one would stick around for very long…

As Lucy waited for the prince to climb up with bated breath, she gestured furiously at Evergreen to move closer to the window.

"Whoa! This is MANLY!" The loud voice shouted. Bristly white hair and a blindingly cheerful smile appeared in the window.

Evergreen blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Your tower! It's so MANLY!"

Lucy slapped her forehead. Elfman?

Really?

_Elfman?_

"You're manly too!" He was cheerfully telling Evergreen, who looked half confused and half furious.

Uh oh. Lucy recognized that look—that was when Evergreen decided she would rather have a statue than a prince. She quickly intervened.

"Uh, Your Highness, we required your assistance. The fair Evergreen has been trapped in this tower for years. Please, help us escape!"

"Your Highness?" Elfman said, scratching his head. "I'm not a prince! I'm just a butcher in town passing by."

Lucy sighed.  _And yet another bust…_

"But," He added cheerfully. "I can still help set you free!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out a rather wicked looking contraption similar to a hammer. With his muscular bulk, he made quick work of the iron bars, cleaving them like butter.

"You can come out now!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Evergreen huffed, but Lucy could tell she was impressed. Elfman slid down to the base of the tower, settling on the ground and holding his arms out wide.

"I'll catch you! It's manlier that way!"

"As if I trust you! You would probably drop me!"

"But that's not manly!"

"Stop with the manly business! Is that all you can say?"

Lucy giggled silently.  _They argue like an old married couple…just like Elfman and Evergreen at home!_ She thought deviously, enjoying the scene enfolding before her eyes.

Evergreen turned up her nose in disgust, but slid off the window ledge gracefully anyway. She landed in Elfman's arms, her skirts tangling together.

"Humph…I suppose I should thank you." She said snootily, but smiling a little.

"MAN!"

They stared closer at each other. Her nose was almost touching the tip of his, and he was so close, he could see her long eyelashes fluttering gently. Was her heart beating faster? But, he was a person from that dreaded town that had condemned her so long ago…how could she be so flustered?

A sudden yelp interrupted the moment. A flurry of skirts and blonde hair had toppled down from the tower below, landing on the ground painfully. Lucy hastily sat up. "Oh, don't mind me!" She said awkwardly. "I figured no one would be here to catch me, so…"

Evergreen and Elfman blushed. They were still in their embrace, as if Elfman was carrying a bride down the aisle.

"So…now that you're free, what are you going to do?" He asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Evergreen looked down, chastened. "I don't know…I've been here my whole life, and I don't know if I have a place to return to."

"You can come back to town with me!"

"Really?" Evergreen said nonchalantly, but her eyes were shining. And then her face drooped. "But they hate me there."

Lucy quickly explained Rapunzel's story to Elfman.

"How UNMANLY!" He cried, shaking his fist. "I will ensure you receive the forgiveness and acceptance you deserve! We will go back to town immediately!"

Lucy couldn't help but smile as Evergreen grew so flustered, she didn't know how to respond.  _This is a true happy ending_ , she thought happily.  _Not every girl needs a prince!_

She watched as Elfman helped Evergreen chop off her long hair after she had looked at it with disgust. "Thank god that's gone. What a horrible hassle that was!" The long tresses fell to the floor like a feather gliding gently on a breeze. With each snip, she could feel her heart growing lighter. Rapunzel was finally free.

Elfman had prepared a saddle for Evergreen for the trip back to town. She was sitting on the horse now, her arms wrapped around his midriff. "Are you sure you don't want to come back with us, Lucy?" Elfman questioned.

"No, I'll stay here. Someone's coming for me." Lucy said confidently. She, too, had someone willing to rescue her and take her back home. She trusted her fire mage with her whole heart, knowing that he would be able to find her anywhere.

"Well, alright then!" Elfman grabbed the reins, and the horse slowly began trotting.

"Lucy!" Evergreen suddenly called out. It was the first time she had spoken Lucy's name.

Lucy looked at her, confused.

"Um…I just wanted to say thank you." Evergreen stated simply.

Lucy felt her cheeks stretch into a smile. She waved cheerfully at the retreating couple, wishing with all her heart that Evergreen would finally be happy. Evergreen had found a new home, just like she had.

* * *

Lucy had decided to remain close to the tower, knowing that Natsu would naturally follow the story like they had before. However, she figured she would need a place to sleep at night, and the gloomy, dilapidated tower was definitely no five star hotel. She began to wander around the forest, searching for a spot where she could wait in comfort.

Right after Lucy had left, a hooded figure appeared at the foot of the tower. She noted the long locks of hair on the ground, seething in anger.

"She escaped!" The mysterious individual hissed.

But this would not go unpunished. The person who had helped her escape would be sure to suffer…oh, she would guarantee that.

The old witch began to gather the long tresses, cackling as she formulated her plan.


	10. The Magic of Tears

Natsu gulped.  _Trust Lucy to pick the ugliest tower to stay in_ , he thought morosely. After a long day of riding (and wringing out his hair—damn it, Juvia!), Natsu had finally arrived at his destination.

It was now nightfall, and the spiny, spindle-like tower was barely audible in the pale moonlight. Even Natsu's heightened senses could barely perceive anything more than a tall, spiraled shadow.

"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" He called out, straightening his shoulders. If he was a Prince this time, he would damn well act like one. He smirked, eager to see Lucy's reaction.

A long, thin braid of hair slipped down the tower, and Natsu noted suspiciously that it looked rather unlike Lucy's golden hair. He shrugged it off, reaching for it anyway. Perhaps the story had changed Lucy's hair, and that was why it looked so different!

He couldn't shake off the ominous feeling that something was wrong, very wrong, but kept climbing nonetheless. His hand reached over his other hand, pulling himself up slowly. The narrow ledges formed by the hastily built stone tower helpfully provided a place for his sandal-clad feet.

"Lucy?" He whispered. "Are you there?"

A faint giggle only answered in reply.

That was rather un-Lucy like…where were the screams? The Lucy kicks? The furious beating?

"Okay then…" Natsu trailed off. Still, he kept climbing, because Natsu Dragneel wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed.

Natsu quickened his pace, only a few feet from the faint opening.

"Lucy, I'm here now!" He announced, eyes searching eagerly for a glimpse of his best friend.

Then he froze in shock as a prim, manicured hand waved at him, holding the long strand of hair he was precariously dangling on. A closer look told him this wasn't Lucy's hair  _at all_ —but subtle brown locks.

"It was you, wasn't it? The one who stole my Rapunzel?" A voice hissed.

This was not the voice of a mere old witch—this was the terrifying whisper of a  _demon_.

Natsu was not too proud of this moment, in which he proceeded to do what he did best.

Piss off the evil villain even more.

"M-mirajane! Aren't you supposed to be old?" Natsu stammered. This was not the sweet, kind Mirajane that Lucy so often fawned over, but the old Mirajane—a horrendous monster with Erza's strength and a demon's temper. Why, oh why was his luck so damned terrible? First the ghastly encounter with Juvia, and now a dreadful late night excursion with Mirajane? Were Fairy Tail women always this menacing?

Mirajane glared fiercely. "Old? Are you calling me old?" She screeched.

Natsu, it seemed, had never learned the number one rule in dealing with women. Age is  _never_  mentioned to a lady,  _never_  (unless you wanted to find yourself unable to reproduce ever again). He immediately backtracked (even Natsu recognized he had said something wrong!). "No, no! Don't misunderstand! I mean that in the story, the witch was super old!"

Mirajane began gliding closer, slowly stalking her prey with a panther's easy grace.

"Uh, I mean, it works though! You have white hair and all, which sorta makes you old, you know? It's nice hair though, very nice! It's an easy mistake—please don't eat me!" Natsu was now a stuttering mess, wishing desperately he had paid attention to Loke's lessons on eloquence and seduction.

Mirajane extended a pale hand, eyes glinting in the moonlight. "You have allowed my prisoner to escape. And now you dare to insult me?" She said slowly, her voice quiet. Somehow, her whisper was more deafening than even the loudest scream.

She shook her head, looking pointedly at the hand still grasping the braid currently supporting Natsu's weight. Natsu knew instantly what was going to happen. "Look, I can explain! I didn't see any prisoner or anything! I'm just here to find my friend, Lucy—you haven't seen her anywhere, right?" He said desperately.

"Liar. I know how you princes work, always galvanizing around the kingdom in search of fair maidens."

"H-huh?" Natsu couldn't deny that one. He sort of  _was_  searching for a girl, wasn't he?

"It would be such a shame," She mused, stroking the long braid softly. "if this were to slip from my grasp, wouldn't it? Twenty feet…such a long fall…would our poor prince be able to handle it?"

Natsu suddenly remembered the fate of the prince in Rapunzel's story. He had been tricked, just as the prince had, and would tumble down into the brambles below. His heart sank as he recalled how the thorns had blinded the prince, leaving him to wander in the dark for eternity.

And he was helpless now, dangling at the edge of a precipice below thousands and thousands of sharp, piercing thorns.

"Ah, you look frightened. Don't worry, I'll make it better…you'll never see again!" She crowed, slowly uncurling her fingers from Rapunzel's hair.

As if in slow motion, Natsu toppled backwards, his weight no longer supported. He could hear his heart pounding in his chest, feel the wind buffering against his face, his eyes slowly beginning to flutter shut.

_Damn…I never got to save Lucy._ And strangely enough, that was the part that bothered him most.

He heard a faint shriek—or perhaps he had imagined it? It sounded so much like Lucy…Natsu was no longer sure of anything, except that he was falling, falling, falling…

His arms instinctively rose to grasp something, anything, but only found air.

_This is it, I guess._

"Natsu!" This time there was no denying it—he  _had_ heard Lucy's voice. He forced his eyes open to see Lucy,  _his_  Lucy, scrambling through the brambles, ignoring the thorns scratching at her skin. "I'll catch you!"

If Natsu wasn't about to die, he probably would have laughed. Wasn't he the one supposed to save her?

Her brown eyes (he could recognize them anywhere) held a hint of worry, but she still stood with her arms outstretched, bracing herself for the impact.

_THUD._

Natsu had miraculously landed right on top of Lucy, his weight knocking her flat on the ground. They were face to face, his knees straddling her.

"Get off me!" She groaned. "You're heavy!" Anyone could see the relief in her eyes, even though she had tried to hide it with her complaints.

Natsu, however, just looked at her, refusing to move. Natsu had grown up surrounded by stunning girls, and he no longer registered their beauty. However, he soaked in this image of Lucy, her skin bruised and bleeding, her hair a straggly mess, her clothes ripped and tattered. Yet she was beautiful, her eyes still shining brightly in the night. This was somehow a thousand times more prettier than when she spent hours getting ready, painting on layers of makeup or wearing her weird, tight clothes.

"Natsu?" Lucy questioned. Her voice drew him back to reality.

He quickly flipped her over so that he was below her now, his hands holding hers tightly. "This is how it should have been. I should have been the one rescuing you." He muttered angrily. "Did I hurt you?" It would kill him if she had been hurt because of  _his_  recklessness,  _his_  stupidity.

"It would have been worth it." She said quietly, looking away, her eyes refusing to meet his.

"I didn't thank you yet." He said, softening a little. "Thank you, Lucy." He felt a rush of pride as he recognized how much stronger his partner had gotten. She had always been strongest person he knew, even if she herself never believed it.

"I guess I'm just paying back the favor from Phantom Lord." She smiled down at him.

Natsu only now realized the awkwardness of their position. His breath caught as he finally noticed how close they were to each other. Was he the only one being affected by their closeness?

"Are you ever going to let me go?" Lucy teased, gesturing at her hands intertwined with his. He felt surprisingly disappointed that she hadn't seemed as flustered as he was.

"Nope!" He grinned, ignoring the flush that was probably on his cheeks. Thank Mavis it was dark out!

He let go off her hands, sitting up, but still keeping her on top of him. "I'm gonna get you!" He laughed, as he began tickling her in earnest.

Lucy squealed, giggling madly. "S-stop it!"

Natsu refused to let up on his onslaught, laughing at his partner's distress. "It's my thank-you present!"

Lucy was laughing so hard now, her eyes began to water. Tears began to slide down her cheeks, her face red from laughter. A single tear rolled down and splashed on Natsu's face as he was watching her.

Suddenly, he was hit by a striking realization.

She was…breathtaking.

He stopped tickling her, picking her up and setting her firmly on the ground.

Lucy looked at him curiously. "What is it?"

"They're back." He said, hoping Lucy wouldn't notice his awkwardness.

The golden lights had indeed returned, swirling in their haunting dance.

"Does that mean we finished the story?" Lucy said, confused.

"I guess so…I mean I was a pretty fabulous prince who rescued Rapunzel, right?" He shot her his typical grin, revealing his pointy fangs.  _Act natural, Dragneel!_

"You wish!" But then she faltered. "Wait, I wasn't Rapunzel! I was the one who helped Rapunzel escape! That means I was… _nobody_?" She was secretly affronted that she had had no role in the story, after being such an important character in Cinderella.

Natsu burst out into laughter. "Ha! You were just a bystander! Cinderella sure sinks down low, huh?"

Lucy whacked him. "Can it! I actually saved the princess, which makes me a much better prince than you!"

They continued their bickering even as the lights swallowed them again.

And once again, another tale had drawn to a close…

* * *

It was a rather strange reversal, that  _he_  knew something that Lucy didn't.

Natsu, and Natsu  _alone_ , knew how how Rapunzel's story had been completed.

There was a lot on Natsu's mind, which was rather unusual for him. The familiar journey through the lights had given him some quality time to ponder on his thoughts.

It had all started after Lucy had saved him from his perilous fall. He had been making her laugh, when a sole tear had landed on his face.

And then it hit him.

Lucy wasn't just a partner to him, was she? No, she was more, much  _more_ , and Natsu had been blinded to the thought.

In Rapunzel's story, the Prince had forever lost his sight to the evil witch, but Rapunzel's loving tears had restored his eyes.

Natsu had been blind, and Lucy's tears made him  _see_ again, made him realize how much she meant to him.

And as Natsu's head began to spin with all these thoughts and realizations, he instinctively shoved them back down to where they belonged. He didn't want to think about what this would possibly mean. He knew with a sinking heart, that Lucy wanted something more than him, that she wanted a prince who would sweep her off her feet. And he would rather give up his life than ruin their friendship, because he knew how fleeting love could be. So Natsu buried his awakening feelings, hoping that everything would just return to normal.

But it was too late—his eyes had opened.


	11. Mirror, Mirror

Natsu clutched his head, groaning. He would never get used to the spinning,  _never_! In his haze, he could make out the faint form of Lucy, sprawled out on the floor. Thankfully, they had arrived together this time.

"L-lucy!" He moaned, trying to stop himself from gagging.

"Don't say my name when you're about to puke!" Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, but crawled over to help him up.

"W-where are we this time?" His face had been restored to somewhat of a normal color now, losing its unpleasant green tinge.

Lucy frowned, concentrating. It was her focused look, the one she used when she was decoding a particularly challenging puzzle or frantically scribbling in her novel. Natsu had seen it on her a thousand times, but never had he found himself so drawn to her pursed lips, the cute little wrinkle on her forehead…He mentally slapped himself.

Catching his stare, Lucy shrugged. "No dice. I have no idea this time." She smoothed down the front of her gaudy, heavily decorated dress. It had appeared along with her when she had arrived, to her annoyance. That thing was  _heavy_!"Although if this room is anything to go off of, it looks like we might be in a castle."

Only now did Natsu notice the dome that loomed over their heads, painted with the finest eye for detail and encrusted with precious gemstones. Pillars of pure white rose up so high that one had to crane his or her neck to see it in its entirety. An elegant, ornamental throne sat at the end of the room with a large, shimmering mirror directly behind it (Natsu could have sworn he saw it flicker…). Red draperies gently caressed the floor, sparkling chandeliers dripping light down upon the polished oak tables—this was luxury at its finest.

Eyeing the fragile room, Natsu wondered what would happen if he  _hypothetically_ let loose one of his flames…

"Don't you dare! I can't afford to pay off the destruction, damn it!" Lucy had instantly known what he was thinking, and snatched him up by the collar. "My rent is high enough!"

Natsu grinned sheepishly.

Lucy stared suspiciously at the boy, but decided to let the issue drop (and Natsu as well—she had dropped him rather painfully onto the hard marble floors). She returned to wondering which fairy tale she was in now. If her outfit was anything to judge by, she was most definitely someone wealthy beyond measure. Even the Heartfilias' would have been impressed by the sheer grandeur of the castle!

"Hmm…let's start from the beginning." Lucy decided, pacing back and forth. "The first time this happened, we were in Cinderella, right? And we tried our best to follow the story to finish it." Lucy tried not to remember how they had  _actually_  finished the story, with Natsu slipping his sandals on her feet like a prince.

"Anyway," She corrected herself, hoping she wasn't blushing. "these golden lights appeared, and we switched stories. That time, I helped Rapunzel finish her story, which meant somehow we finished that one too."

Natsu looked strangely conflicted when she mentioned the Rapunzel story. Lucy, in her rapid pacing, didn't see the sudden solemnity that had overcame the boy.

"And now, the lights took us  _here_. So, we just got to figure where exactly we are, who we are, and which story this is!"

That was…not encouraging.

"I hate not knowing things! This is ridiculous!" Lucy complained. "Can't someone just tell us the answers for once?"

"May I be of assistance, Your Highness?" A cool, automated voice echoed in the large room.

Lucy jumped, shrieking and throwing herself around Natsu's neck.

"Kill it, Natsu!"

"…That would be rather impossible, Your Majesty."

Natsu glanced around, frantically trying find the source of the voice.

"After all, I am a mirror." The voice, although still robotic, had a slight huffiness to it.

Ah-hah! Natsu knew he had seen a mirror somewhere in the room…but where was it? "Shoot, I forgot!" Natsu muttered.

Lucy smacked his head, still clinging to him. "You mean that gigantic mirror that literally covers the wall over there?"

"Oh yeah, that'd be the one!" Natsu grinned.

The mirror sighed. "Look, Your Majesty, if you have no use for me, I'd like to leave."

"No, no, no! I need you!" Lucy called out, jumping to the ground. She shot a triumphant smirk at Natsu, mouthing "Ha! I'm a Queen!".

Talking mirrors…a Queen…this tale was starting to proceed down a rather unpleasant path…

Wait a minute…

"Um…Lucy?" Natsu interrupted, realizing what was going on.

"Oh hush, Natsu! I'm trying to talk to the mirror!"

"But, Lucy!"

"Just a second! I'm gonna figure out where we are!"

Natsu sighed.

"Mirror, who am I?" Lucy asked eagerly.

"That's not your typical question, My Lady. Aren't you going to ask me something else?"

"Like what?"

"Oh, you know… who the fairest in the kingdom is and all? It  _is_ a rather popular question of yours."

"It…is?"

"In case you're wondering, you are the fairest here, so true."

Lucy cheered, clapping her hands. "I love this story already! This is great!"

But the mirror had not finished. "But Snow White is a thousand times more beautiful than you."

Lucy froze. "Wait…" She stared into her reflection, peering into it desperately for answers. And then she saw herself in the mirror, which was her first inkling that something was amiss. Long, dark sleeves covered her arms, and a black high collar curved up around her neck, accentuating her fine features. Pouty, blood-red lips and heavily darkened, kohl-rimmed eyes stared back hungrily at her. This was…her?

"I'm…the evil Queen?" She said aloud, horror stricken.

Lucy whirled around to face Natsu, panic on her face. "You knew, didn't you? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Surprise?" Natsu said weakly.

* * *

Lucy had fallen silent.

In her defense, she was rather traumatized by the realization that she was  _evil_ , which is quite understandable for a girl in her situation.

"Oh, my lord." She clapped a hand over her mouth, turning slightly pale. "I won't have to do  _it_ , will I?"

"Do what?" Natsu demanded. He had a sudden urge to punch that stupid mirror for making his Luce feel so terrible. "What are you talking about?"

The mirror somehow knew what she was thinking. "Death by apples is actually considered quite kind, Your Majesty. After all, you are one of the most vile, most feared beings in the kingdom."

Lucy's stomach churned. "This can't be the story! I can't ever do something like that!" And worst of all, she realized with her heart sinking, was that Snow White would likely be played by one of her friends…and she could never hurt Fairy Tail! Never!

Suddenly, warm arms embraced her from behind. She jumped a little at the unexpected warmth, but reveled in the comfort that only her best friend could bring her.

"You won't have to do it." He told her firmly.

"W-what if I do? What if it's the only way to get home?" She blinked back the tears that were threatening to fall, tottering precariously at the edge of her eyelashes. And then she spoke her worst fear out loud.

"What if it's fate?"

"Screw fate! I won't let you do something you don't want to do!" His breath was hot against her ear, and despite the warmth, she shivered at his intensity.

"We'll change the story if we have to! Because Fairy Tail members never give up, remember?"

_This_  was the Natsu Lucy had always admired. No matter how grave the situation, he always was able to find hope, and in turn, inspire those around him. And he had  _always_  been there for her, soothing her tears or quieting her worry. It was  _his_  confidence in her that had allowed her to stand up again in the Grand Magic Games. It was  _his_  comfort that had restored her faith in Fairy Tail during Acnologia's rampage at Tenrou. It was  _him._

Natsu was right. This was no reason for her to worry!

Lucy smiled at his optimism. "You're right. I'm sorry." Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of Natsu's grasp, turning around to face him.

And instinctively, she reached up on the tip of her toes and brushed her lips over his cheek. "Thank you." She said softly.

_Thank you...for all the times you helped me._ She whispered silently.

Natsu blinked hard. And then pinched himself to check if he was dreaming. Had that…really happened? His fingers lightly touched the area where Lucy's lips had been.

He could only watch dumbfounded, as Lucy turned around with her shoulders held back, her fingers curled into fists.

As if Natsu's warmth had filled her body with flames of her own, she stalked angrily to the mirror, jabbing her index straight into the center. "Alright, mister, you're going to tell me who Snow White is right  _now_."

"I thought you decided you weren't going to kill her?" The mirror asked, hopeful that the evil Queen would  _actually_  be evil.

Lucy snorted. "That's the last thing I'm going to do." She tossed her hair behind her, confidence restored.

"I'm going to help her get her Prince."


	12. The Huntsman

Was this how Mirajane felt? The exhilarating thrill of power coursing through her veins, the sheer anticipation of watching a beautiful plan unfold to perfection?

Lucy, it seemed, had let the matchmaking go a little  _too_  far to her head.

"This is stupid." Natsu complained, watching as Lucy scurried around, hastily calling servants or contacting others via the magic mirror (who was really only helpful in this aspect—otherwise, it seemed constantly rant about the perks of being evil).

"Can't you just let it happen like the story?"

Lucy glared at Natsu, who instantly became a meek, nodding mess. What? That dress made her look  _terrifying_!

"The story was the  _least_  romantic story ever! Look, Natsu, until I've located a scenic location with the perfect ambiance and seven adorable little dwarves, this entire plan will go down the drain. Do you know how hard it is to find a romantic place with dwarves in it?"

Natsu gave a noncommittal shrug. Personally, he thought she should just let it happen naturally, but hey, it was funny watching Lucy run around in all her evil Queenness. He decided to just settle back and relax.

"Natsu!" A large flower pot suddenly began tottering towards him. Lucy's muffled voice appeared to be coming from the large bouquet of flowers that had completely enveloped her. "A little help?"

Grinning at the ridiculous sight, Natsu reached forward and took the flowers from Lucy (no, he did not stagger a little at its weight, no matter what Lucy says). "Where do you want em?"

"Over by the throne." Lucy said, breathing heavily. "We'll have someone ship them over to the dwarves."

It was endearing to see just how absorbed Lucy was in her task. Snow White would never lay her eyes upon her "surprise" until Lucy had deemed everything beyond satisfactory.

"Alright! The arrangements have been made, a message was sent to the prince, and twenty seven servants have constructed suitable living quarters for our hired dwarves." Lucy clapped her hands, as if signaling the end of a very long, very grandiose opera.

Natsu wiped a bit of drool off his face, yawning. He had dozed off  _ages_ ago…had Lucy only finished now?

"Now, let's run through the plan!"

"There's a plan?" Natsu was surprised at just how much he had missed during his short nap.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Look, idiot, all we need to do is lead her down to the dwarves, where the prince will "coincidentally" meet up with her. We'll have to play it by ear, but that's all we need to do, okay? And remember—stick to the story the best you can!"

Natsu nodded sleepily.

"I'm going to call her down now!"

"Snow White!" Lucy called out gaily. "Come down here, please!"

Natsu coughed in his fist. He gestured at her to act more evil—after all, he knew she was capable of it after getting kicked one too many times.

"Err, get down here this instant, peasant!" Lucy rearranged her features into the resemblance of a scowl—really, it only made her look dazed and bewildered.

Natsu had to physically restrain himself from smacking his forehead.

Suddenly, a loud clang echoed in the large, elaborate room. It was the sound of metal clashing discordantly against the marble, a fierce noise that sent alarm bells ringing in Natsu's head.

The doors flew open, revealing a tall, broad shouldered figure clad in armor. He—no she! swept down onto her knees, sinking into a deep bow.

"You called, Your Majesty?" Although her face was obscured by her long hair, the trademark red locks could have been recognized anywhere…

"It's the monster!" Natsu yelped.

* * *

Lucy had to comfort a quaking Natsu, as she tried hard not to cry. Her plans had gone to ruin, her crazy shipping dreams ending…

This was  _terrible_.

Erza…was simply not a damsel in distress. No, she was the dragon watching the tower, the knight heroically saving the day—the utter opposite.

Yeah, she probably wouldn't appreciate Lucy's flowers.

Lucy made a mental note to cancel the message she had left for Prince Loke, knowing that he and Erza would never hit it off. Unless by "hit it off", you meant an honorable duel to the death, which in that case, Erza would most happily oblige.

So a change of plans was clearly needed. And Lucy was more than willing to make a few sacrifices to guarantee her princess had her "Happily Ever After"…

Lucy hopped onto her throne, hoping Erza didn't catch her slight stumble on the steps. She reclined on it in what she thought was very intimidating manner, her lips pursed.

"Snow White, dearest, come stand closer to me."

"Yes, Stepmother!" Erza shouted. Her tone of voice was probably more appropriate for the military than her current situation. She marched towards Lucy with perfect precision, stopping at the foot of her throne.

"I wonder, when was the last time you had some fresh air? The castle can be so stifling at times."

_And Plan B is now in action!_

Erza frowned. "It has been three months, Your Highness. I apologize for my lack of awareness for my physical health. Please, hit me in retribution!"

Lucy sweated nervously at Erza's quirkiness.

Natsu had begun to sidle closer in, entirely willing to take Erza up on her offer. Lucy glared at him, but was suddenly hit by a spark of inspiration.

"I will choose to punish you differently. You must go to the woods, accompanied by  _him,_ the huntsman. He shall supervise you." She nodded her head towards Natsu, who frantically tried to run away. He widened his eyes at Lucy, wondering what he had done to deserve such a cruel fate.

Erza grabbed him by the collar tightly. "As you wish, Stepmother."

Lucy wanted to cringe at the strange thought that Erza was technically her stepdaughter.

"We will make this outing a time to form new companionships and learn to shoulder life's heavy burdens together." Erza declared dramatically, her eyes shining.

"Is he to be my Stepfather?" She added on innocently.

Natsu made a strange noise in his throat (although that could have originated from Erza's tight chokehold), as Lucy immediately began to protest.

"N-no!" Lucy managed to say, her face strikingly similar to Erza's scarlet hair.

Erza suddenly glared at the boy she was holding. "Is he threatening your most honorable virtue, Stepmother? I will not settle for anything less than marriage!"

Lucy opened her mouth, burning with embarrassment. But Natsu cut her to the chase. "I have honorable intentions, I swear! I'll marry her!" He choked out.

Was it even possible for Lucy to turn any redder? Although, she noted suspiciously, the fire mage looked a little flushed himself. But it didn't mean anything, she told herself.  _He was only saving his own neck…_

Erza looked satisfied at his response. "We will return when we have finished." She bowed at Lucy, turning around and dragging Natsu's flailing limbs behind her.

"I won't forgive you for this." Natsu mouthed as he was forced to submit to Erza's strength.

Lucy flashed him a guilty smile. "Take one for the team?" She mouthed back. "Remember the plan!"

As Natsu left the room against his will, Lucy spun around in her throne, turning to face the mirror.

"Now, where was I?" She mused. She had had to make some changes to her strategy, but this was still doable!

"Mirror, could you send a quick message to Prince Jellal?"

Oh, Lucy was evil. But she would swear later on that it was out of her duty as a fellow female to bring in Erza's love interest into the mix—really! It wasn't because she was secretly eager to see her matchmaker dreams come true or anything!

Mirajane would be so proud.

* * *

The mirror had suddenly become much more helpful after witnessing Lucy's sudden stroke of evil. It had proceeded to offer her a chance to view everything that was going on in the comfort of the castle.

"And I have optimized viewing features in high definition, Your Majesty." It babbled on. Images of Natsu and Erza in the woods appeared in the mirror, complete with sound and clarity.

Lucy nodded absentmindedly. She was more curious to see whether her plans would come to fruition. Of course, she had left Natsu to start the story, which was probably not one of her greatest ideas, she thought in hindsight.

Settling back in her throne, Lucy watched as the story began to proceed…

The woods were rather lame, if you asked Natsu. The trees allowed in plenty of sunshine, basking his surroundings in a warm, innocent glow. Beautiful flowers dotted the ground like confetti, and the delightful weather would have led any  _normal_ princess to immediately burst into song. He preferred a little more danger in his woods, thank you very much.

"Uh, aren't you going to admire the birds or something?" Natsu prodded. Thank goodness he had remembered this cheesy story—Snow White was said to have a kind heart, and was caring towards all wildlife.

Erza was a  _different_  case, for sure. Her dramatic waving of her sword, the clanking of her metal armor—all those had scared away even the bravest animals in the woods.

Natsu dropped that idea rather quickly. "Err, how about picking some flowers, actually?"

Erza just looked at him. "Why?"

"Uh, never mind." Natsu shrugged. He had tried, at least. "Guess there's nothing left for me to do, except—"

He launched himself at her in a crazy tackle.  _I gotta scare her or something, so she runs to the dwarves!_

Erza immediately kicked him into submission. "What are you doing?" She roared.

Groaning, Natsu clutched his stomach.  _The_ real _huntsman would have never succeeded if he had been fighting Erza…_

He valiantly tried to give it another shot. "The Queen ordered me to kill you!" He babbled, but Erza didn't hear him in her furious rampage.

This proceeded until Natsu had sprawled out on the forest floor, utterly unconscious.

Back in the castle, the evil queen sat there, horrified. The mirror had perhaps shown  _too_  much detail.

"Oh my lord." Stunned, Lucy placed a hand over her heart. "My stepdaughter's a barbarian!"

On the opposite of the mirror, Erza sheathed her sword, breathing heavily. She glared down at the boy who had attacked her randomly. "Sweet Mavis! My stepmother's marrying a barbarian!"

Lucy sighed. This story's Happily Ever After was sliding further and further away...

Looks like this one might take a while.


	13. The Seven Dwarfs

Erza cheerfully capped her sword, sliding it back into her sheath.

"A little exercise and some fresh air can be quite lovely." She smiled, ignoring the mangled mess of a boy on the ground.

Was she oblivious to his pain? Natsu sweated nervously.

"Y-you should leave." He croaked out painfully. "The Queen wants you dead."

Although this was entirely untrue (Lucy's stomach turned at the idea of hurting her friend), Natsu figured it was best to proceed with the story.  _But what Prince would want to marry_ that _monster?_

Erza appeared unmoved.

"Hello? I'm trying to save you!"

Why wasn't she running? For surely, Snow White's life had been in jeopardy in the story—although Lucy was perhaps the least dangerous evil queen alive (except in Natsu's opinion…he had been the victim of one too many Lucy kicks for comfort).

"She wants your heart and liver too. Did I mention that?" Natsu prompted.

She continued to ignore him.

There was no nobler sight in the world than Erza Scarlet, standing tall and proud, her hair flowing loosely against the wind. She was as inexorable as the flight of time, her quiet strength supporting her great dignity.

And Natsu realized then that it would be almost demeaning for Erza, Titania of the Fairies, to ever seek something as simple as a  _rescue_. This wasn't the Erza he knew from Fairy Tail, but she was Erza nonetheless.

It was easy to mistake a princess as someone who was weak, a damsel in distress. But Erza had appeared before them, clad in armor both in spirit and in body. She was standing now, looking danger in the face and refusing to acknowledge it. When had the word "princess" become synonymous to weak? Desperate? Dependent? Snow White's story, passed down for centuries, had failed to capture the spirit and bravery of a simple girl whose only fault was her tragic beauty.

Perhaps the story had been wrong all along. They had only seen her pale, snow-white skin, but not the fierce scarlet of courage underneath.

And as Erza bent down to heave Natsu off the mossy forest floor, Natsu allowed himself to be thrown over her shoulder. He knew better than to argue with her strength. "We're going back to the castle." She said firmly.

She, Erza Scarlet, would carve her own path.

She was not fleeing from the Queen, no, she would  _confront_  her. It had been nineteen miserable years, nineteen years of pure agony for her beauty, something unchangeable. She had quietly suffered under the queen's rule, forcibly becoming a scullery maid and later adopting the role as a poor squire. She had thrived under her code of honor, and she had patiently born her torture—but her life was hers and hers alone.

The queen would never touch it.

* * *

Lucy beamed at the mirror, her eyes shining. "That was beautiful!" She dabbed at her eyes. "You show 'em, Erza!"

Admiration for the scarlet-haired knight welled up in her chest. Lucy's own shortcomings came to light, as she thought back to all the times she had been rescued. But her own life was not the pleasant one of a princess either—she had grown strong. And one day, she would be just as strong as Erza.

An abrupt cough jarred her out of her thoughts.

"If I may, Your Majesty…isn't she coming to attack  _you_?"

And then Lucy gulped. Oh, sweet Mavis!

"And yet another tragic death…" The mirror mused. "Are you prepared, Queen? One quick stroke and it'll be Marie Antoinette all over again. Blood is awfully hard to get out of these carpets, you know."

Lucy wailed. "Why did Natsu have to tell her all that? I just wanted her to land her prince, for goodness sake! I'm too young to die!"

If the mirror could shrug, it would have.

"Show me Erza and Natsu." Lucy commanded.  _Can't I just go home?_  She moaned, her hands gripping her throne tightly.

The mirror flashed, returning to the previous scene.

But wait, was that was she thought it was? She peered into the glass, and suddenly relaxed.

Perhaps there was hope, after all.

Erza trudged on relentlessly, not even stopping once. She also failed to pull back the branches for Natsu, her unwilling passenger, smacking him several times in the face.

Natsu, on the other hand, was equal parts terrified and equal parts cheering Erza on. He had hated her helplessness when Jellal (who had sort of redeemed himself, but he was still a bastard for making Erza cry) tried to go and destroy the whole world, but he didn't want her to hurt Lucy, either! He tried tugging at her hair, trying to direct her as if he was holding the reins.

Erza glared, and the number of branches hitting his face increased tenfold.

Several times, Erza had stopped and stared curiously at various pathways.

It seemed that this Erza was…directionally challenged.

The sound of loud voices permeated through the air, and Natsu began to fear the worst. Had they reached town? Were they almost at the castle?

And then Erza swung him down so quickly, his motion sickness kicked in. Gagging a bit, he stared blearily at the sight of…

A tiny little cottage?

Natsu wanted to laugh out of relief.

They had made it after all. Thank goodness for Erza's absentmindedness!

The chorus of voices grew louder, blending seamlessly into the busy chatter of thousands of people. Or perhaps just seven?

"Fucking ice bastard!" A tiny black figure screamed, arms flailing wildly as he fell from the window. The caucus of noise failed to abate even after the absence of one member.

Natsu's jaw gaped. "Tiny!" He pointed at the miniature dwarf, barely four feet off the ground.

"Gee hee." The dwarf straightened his hat, his small piercings visible even in the dimming sun. "What are you all staring at?"

And then an entire storm of angry dwarfs paraded outside the house.

"No mercy!" Elfman squeaked in a high pitched voice. "Fighting is manly!" He jumped on Laxus's back.

"You wanna die?" Laxus threw a punch, instantly knocking Elfman out cold.

"Come back here, rusty face!" Gray wailed in his trademark birthday suit.

"Put on some clothes, damn it!"

"Man!"

The little dwarfs scrambled around, furiously brawling (not unlike a typical day at Fairy Tail, actually).

Natsu sweated nervously. He figured Lucy would choose a more romantic (wasn't that what she always was talking about? All that gushy stuff?) setting for Erza's meet up with her prince, but even Natsu knew this wasn't quite it.

Then a mischievous smile overtook his face. "I can finally beat Laxus! All right!" He charged into the fray. The entrance of a normal-sized person instantly changed the game.

Things escalated rather quickly every time Natsu was around, after all.

Fists and limbs stuck out a random angles, and one could barely discern who was who in the fierce fighting.

"Stop!" Erza screamed.

To Erza's credit, everyone immediately froze.

"Look here, I'm tired and I need a place to stay tonight." She snapped, fingers rubbing her forehead in annoyance.

The dwarfs glanced curiously at her, and then back at each other. They huddled together, accidentally including Natsu in the conversation. "What should we do?" One whispered.

"She can't stay!"

"It's a  _girl,_ though!" Macao said with a perverted look on his face.

"Man!" Elfman added.

The whispered debate continued until finally, Laxus stepped out of the group and approached Erza.

"Can you cook? Or clean?" He said gruffly.

Erza narrowed her eyes at him. "No." Her hand strayed to the hilt of her sword casually. "They say I can fight though."

Gray gulped. "I say we let her in. It'll just be one night!"

Macao hastily agreed.

Laxus rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Fine. One night, and you leave."

Erza nodded, stepping inside. Natsu followed her, completely uninvited.

For lack of better words, the house was a pigsty. Putting seven boys in one small house, and Fairy Tail boys, at that, would surely lead to destruction, so that was no suprise. Vases were shattered all over the floor, dirty laundry was hanging off the most unusual things, and a stack of unwashed dishes piled miles high sat on the neglected table.

Erza frowned, swiping her finger at the clear five inches of dust coating the furniture.

"This is a disgrace! You there, have you ever touched a dust feather in your life?"

It seemed this Erza enjoyed criticizing others' habits as well as the old one.

"Clean this up immediately!" She roared.

Gajeel saluted fearfully. "Y-yes, ma'am!"

"And you, what is this?" She turned around, glaring fiercely at Gray. Gray slid to his knees out of terror. "Pick up these clothes before I chop your head off!"

Erza would most definitely make an excellent drill sergeant, oh yes, as each dwarf began frantically cleaning and cooking to avoid her wrath.

"Stir faster! Unless you never want to stir again!" She threatened to a sobbing Elfman cooking soup on the stove.

"Fix the lights, damn it! No one can see in here!" Laxus grumpily acquiesced, fiddling with the fuses until all the electricity had been restored.

As Erza stood watching with satisfaction, Natsu couldn't help but to whisper a quick plea to Lucy. "Save me! Get me out of here, Luce!" He prayed.

So much for a domestic Snow White…

* * *

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "Crisis averted!" She placed her hand over her heart. "We even managed to get back on track with the story! Although the methods she use are kind of terrifying…"

"What's next, Your Highness?" The mirror asked curiously.

"I guess it's time for a little test for our dear Snow White." Lucy giggled.

She snapped her fingers (oh, how she loved having magical powers!), and began to roll something in the palm of her hand.

"Wait till she sees this…"


	14. The Wishing Well

Natsu had thankfully returned to Lucy's palace.

Perhaps  _returned_  wasn't quite the correct term. It was more like a glorified escape from the darkest pits of Tartarus, or a fearful sprint for his life from the horrifying demon known as Erza Scarlet.

Either way, Natsu was safe. Life had never been so sweet.

"Lucy! How could you do that to me?" He whined, throwing the throne room doors wide open.

Lucy grinned sheepishly. "It won't happen again, I promise." She patted the arm of her elaborate throne. "Come sit here with me and watch Erza!"

The mirror eyed them suspiciously. It felt almost uncomfortable (if a mirror could be uncomfortable, of course) with the crackling tension and the foggy, hazy air filled with nervous energy between the two friends. Were they  _entirely_  oblivious to it? It was utterly disgusting.

"Um, I don't think I'll fit." Natsu pointed out, moving towards the throne anyway. If he got to sit  _that_ close to his partner, hey, he wasn't complaining! He sat down, almost inches away from Lucy's lap. Just a tiny shift to the right would lead to some very, very close contact…

"You will if I do this!" Lucy giggled gleefully, flicking her fingers at the throne. It instantly transformed into an elegant little couch except with one minor, tiny problem.

Emphasis on tiny.

Lucy had misjudged her magic. The little couch could barely fit two people, meaning Natsu had plopped down…directly in her lap. Their limbs were tangled together like an endless array of knots, especially as Lucy flailed around helplessly. Natsu was so close that he could smell the sweet vanilla scent of Lucy's hair. He could see her individual eyelashes, the smooth poutiness of her lips…

"I'm so sorry!" Lucy frantically apologized, trying to ease the boy off her. Heat welled up in her, her face burning with embarrassment.

Natsu just laughed, praying to the great dragons in the sky that Lucy could not feel his pulse race. "I don't know. I'm kind of comfortable like this." He wrapped an arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Get off me!" She shrieked.

"I like where I am." He teased playfully. "Besides, you were the one who told me to sit by you."

"I didn't know  _this_  would happen!"

"You don't like it?"

Their bickering continued for several minutes. Notably, neither of them moved a muscle (although if you ask Lucy, she will vehemently deny that fact).

The mirror looked on with disgust. "Young love…" It gagged.

Natsu and Lucy, oblivious to the mirror's grumbling (in its defense, third wheeling is  _never_ easy.), continued to quarrel.

* * *

Erza hummed happily as she polished her sword. She was perched on the edge of the bed, her legs crossed, forehead wrinkled in concentration.

"Yet another satisfying day of good hard work." She said to herself, thinking of the pristine cottage.

The rhythmic work of polishing became almost an involuntary action to Erza, soothing her greatly. Almost every night before bed, she would methodically clean each of her numerous weapons five times.  _One's weapons are a girl's best friends, after all._

A sharp rap on the door interrupted her peaceful reverie. Erza's eyebrow twitched.

"Who  _dares_  disturb my quiet sanction?" She hissed, throwing the door open.

Wakaba and Macao peered up at her, terrified. "So sorry! So sorry, Captain!" They whimpered pitifully. Macao quietly muttered a quick curse at Laxus. The whole thing was rigged! There was no absolute way that he and Wakaba had drawn the shortest straws (to Gray's immense relief)!

"Laxus sent us to tell you that we won't be here tomorrow. We'll be mining all throughout the day, but we'll return at night."

"You can stay as long as you want, too!" Wakaba prayed that she would refuse this generous offer.

Erza looked at her newly cleaned surroundings with a sparkle in her eye. "Perhaps just a few more nights shall do."

Macao shot Wakaba a panicked look. She wasn't supposed to agree! "Uh, okay! Well, we'll let you sleep now! Good night!" They scurried off as fast as they could, pushing each other in their attempts to escape.

Erza closed the door and resumed her polishing. "I guess I'll be here all alone tomorrow…"

Or would she?

* * *

"Queen Lucy, your visitor has arrived." The mirror was now completely and utterly bored of watching Natsu and Lucy. The awkward tension needed to end, and  _immediately_!

Lucy jumped off of the couch, throwing Natsu's arms off of her in an instant ( _Ha!_  The mirror thought.  _I knew she was just faking!_ ). "You've arrived." She said regally, sinking down in a deep curtsy at her guest.

A tall, hooded figure bowed back. "I thank you for your kindness. You say you know how to get my memories back, Your Majesty?"

Lucy nodded. "My mirror has revealed to me many secrets of this land. There is a girl, one of skin as pale of snow and hair as scarlet as blood. She shall be the key to your memories."

"A girl?" He asked hesitantly.

"It will be her warmth and kindness that restores you." Lucy promised.

Natsu sniggered quietly in the background. Lucy glared at him.

"Where is she?"

"Unfortunately, I do not know." She lied easily. "However, there are rumors of a scarlet-haired beauty who lives alone in the woods nearby."

"I shall go there immediately." He bowed again. "Thank you, Queen Lucy."

"I wish you the best of luck on your quest, Prince."

And as quickly as he had arrived, the mysterious figure dashed off into the woods, searching for his scarlet savior.

* * *

It was already morning, and if there was anything Erza hated more in the world, it was wasting valuable daylight.

"First, I'll inspect the rest of the cottage to evaluate its livability." She decided, crouching down to open the front door. "Or perhaps I'll practice a few of my strokes."

Birds chirped cheerfully in the sky above, and a light breeze played with the ends of Erza's long hair. The air was crisp, and crystalline drops of dew dotted the ground. She had to blink at the bright sunlight, but the sheer loveliness of the weather urged Erza to sing out loud along with the birds. She wanted to dance, twirling around and giggling like a dainty maiden.

Then she slapped herself on both cheeks. "I must punish myself for my irrational behavior! Singing is a pastime reserved for young damsels, not a knight like myself!" She marched over to the dwarfs' garden.

"This area will do nicely!" She grabbed her sword and began to run through her daily warm-up. One thousand repetitions a day (and each one must be perfect) was required to maintain her strong physique. A failure to fulfill her daily regiment would be simply horrifying! Discipline, after all, was Erza's middle name.

"Oof!" Erza gasped as she clumsily smashed into a wishing well in the middle of the garden. "Huh, what's this?"

She peered into the depths of the water, poking at the surface gently. "Is this a wishing well?"

Indeed, it was. The well had a little tile roof, along with a handle used to fetch water in a bucket.

"Well then, shouldn't I make a wish?" To those who knew Erza, they knew that she was a closet romantic—under no circumstances were people to know this little-known fact! Underneath her prickly exterior, there lay a softer side—she could definitely swoon along with the rest of the girls over a love story or two. Even the Erza at Fairy Tail had secretly bought a wedding dress for herself!

_I wish…_ Erza leaned deeper into the well, propping herself up by her elbows.  _I wish…_

_Splash!_  She toppled head first into the water.

Suddenly, strong arms pulled her up. "Are you alright, miss?"

Erza nodded blindly. Her wet hair had stuck to her face, obscuring her view. "I'm fine." She coughed, spluttering a little. Despite her rather ungraceful fall, she still had a loveliness as tender as the flush of the rose leaf.

The gentle hands set her down onto the grass. "I suppose I should go."

"W-wait!" Erza finally opened her eyes, only seeing a hooded figure retreating back into the woods. "Who are you?"

There was no reply.

* * *

Jellal sprinted through the woods, his heart pounding.

He had first stumbled upon this strange maiden in his searching of the woods. Peering through the bushes, he had seen only a blur of a sword and swift footwork. But as the girl paused in her practice, he had seen her lean into the well and fall inside.

An unexplainable urge caused him to leap out of his hiding spot and pull her out of the well. He couldn't explain why he had done such a strange thing, but it was almost as if he had been prompted…

_Who was that girl?_  She had been so strangely familiar it had made his heart ache.  _I can feel kindness, cheerfulness and warmth…is she the one the Queen told me about?_

_But I can't be sure. I must observe her further!_

And so Jellal continued to run, his mind solely focused on the strange girl and her mysterious beauty…

* * *

Lucy cheered. "He found her!"

This was so  _exciting_! She was watching a grand fairy tale come to life right before her eyes!

"Look Natsu, the prince finally met Snow White!"

"I don't remember that happening in the story." Natsu grumbled. Just what was so interesting about this whole fiasco anyway? Was it because of the whole Prince thing Lucy loved the idea of?

Lucy laughed. "Well, leave it to Erza to change the story to suit herself! The Prince originally hears Snow White singing at a wishing well, and he sings back to her. Neither of them really gets to see the other person though…it's all so  _romantic_!"

Natsu just shrugged. Why was he feeling so annoyed? He was probably hungry, he decided. It had been a while since he had ate…

"It's my turn now." Lucy shot him a wicked smile. She transformed into an old, stooped hag, a strange object hidden in the palm of her hand.

"Don't you think I fit the part?"

* * *

A/N: The wishing well scene is loosely based upon Disney's interpretation, and is not commonly associated with the traditional fairy tale.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	15. The Apple of My Eye

Apples are overestimated. The sweet crisp of a perfectly shaped bite couldn't possibly hold the appeal as a single heart-shaped, scarlet strawberry, could it?

And what better way to tempt a princess?

Lucy wrapped a long, black cloak around her shriveled shoulders, hoisting up a basket innocently. She knew one tiny little bite would sink darling Snow White into the shadowy depths of eternal sleep. But true love's kiss by her prince would easily restore her…

Yet what was this strange feeling she had, pricking at the back of her neck?

_This was what the story had done._  She reminded herself silently. If she was to give Erza her Happily Ever After, then drastic measures must be taken to bring Jellal to his rightful place next to Erza.

And it was this reminder that allowed her to hesitantly knock upon the tiny hovel's wooden door. "Hello?" Lucy called out in a raspy voice.

The door was thrown open with the force of a gale. "How can I help you?"

The voice was crisp, professional, even a bit strict—this was Erza, all right. Water dripped steadily onto the floor, beads of water still clinging to Erza's forehead. Despite her soaked appearance, she held herself with the dignity of a knight.

"Dearie, would you like to try some of this?" Lucy held out her basket, revealing its delicious contents.

Erza's eyes began to sparkle. "Is that—cake? Strawberry cake?"

Lucy nodded. "Freshly baked out of the oven!" She fibbed.

Erza made a move to grab the basket, but reluctantly retracted her hands. The sparkle in her eye faded, and her face fell in an expression that can only be described as the devastation of a woman on the brink of receiving a miracle, only to have it slip out of her grasp. "I'm afraid I don't have any money…"

"Nonsense! There is no need for that! It's simply a sampling, not a feast!"

"Then, I must try some immediately!" Her eyes alight with a fiery light, her happiness restored.

Lucy helpfully offered Erza the entire basket, who had somehow already sat down with a fork in her hand. She reverently lifted the cake out, placing it gently on the table.

Lucy watched with amusement. The cake did look awfully good, if she did say so herself! Five seconds and a wave of her hand had created pure perfection (Lucy wondered if there was some way she could keep her powers—imagine the possibilities!). Decadent, snowy puffs of frosting decorated its surface, while layers of thick strawberry jam were sandwiched between fluffy, moist tiers of cake. A sole strawberry topped the monstrous creation.

"B-beautiful!" Were those tears in Erza's eyes?

She held a forkful of cake to her lips, swallowing. This was sheer ecstasy! Simply heavenly! Had she somehow escaped the mortal confines of life to reach this wondrous nirvana?

Laughing, Lucy gestured at the strawberry. "It seems like you liked it, dear! Try it with the strawberry on top!"

Erza eagerly nodded. "I shall do as you say!"

Lucy could have sworn it had only been a second, but the entire slice of cake had somehow disappeared. Erza had devoured it in the blink of an eye.

Everything was going perfectly to plan—at this rate, she would watch a Happily Ever After unfold before midnight!

A loud snore interrupted her self-congratulation.

Snow White had slumped over, fast asleep.

_Success!_

* * *

Jellal hunched over, desperately catching his breath.  _I think I've run far enough…_ But why had that woman caused such a reaction in him? Why did he bolt?

His ears perked up at the sound of loud footsteps. He glanced around wildly.

"Golly gee, did you hear?" An obviously exaggerated accent rang through the woods. "There's a rumor that the scarlet beauty has fallen into a deep sleep, and no one can wake her up!"

Natsu was not quite known for his acting skills. "I think she's somewhere over there!" He pointed dramatically to the left, flailing his limbs around in that general direction.

Jellal looked confusedly at the wildly gesturing boy, wondering what he was talking about. "Are you talking to me?"

"No! Well, sort of? I'm just talking to the audience in general."

Jellal raised his eyebrow. "It's just me and you."

Oh, whoops. What had Lucy told him to do again? He concentrated hard, trying to remember that lengthy script Lucy had prepared for him (one of the major drawbacks of having a writer as a best friend).

"Oh no!" He added in a monotone. Damn, he had skipped some lines and forgotten the rest. Where was he again?

Jellal had utterly no idea what was going on, until he suddenly remembered Natsu's words about a scarlet beauty. More ominously…had the pink-haired boy said no one could wake her up? And there was only  _one_  scarlet haired woman he knew in the woods…

"Where is she?" He grasped Natsu's shoulders, panicked. "I've got to go find her!"

Natsu sighed. And everyone thought  _he_ was the dumb one! "You didn't see my gestures, man? She's over there!" Hadn't he made it obvious?

Watching Jellal dash off to save his princess…well, something in that reckless action reminded him of himself.

Didn't he have a princess to check on too?

* * *

Lucy wept. "Why? What have I done to deserve this?" She sunk to the floor in defeat.

After over thirty minutes, she had yet to move Erza outside where she had magically created a large glass coffin. It seems her magical powers could not, unfortunately, give her super powerful strength.

She had attempted to lift Erza, drag her around, and even try to pry off her heavy armor. In fact, Lucy got quite inventive with the whole situation. Have  _you_  ever tried to catapult 180 pounds of armor with only a chair and several loops of industrial strength rope? It wasn't something she would recommend—definitely don't try it at home!

"Luce, this is why you should train more!" A calloused hand patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"Oh, shut up." Lucy grumbled. Trust Natsu to show up at her worst, absolute sweatiest moment!

"So you don't want my help, then? You got to ask for it."

Lucy was stuck. "Fine! Help me!"

"How about a 'please'?" Natsu smirked, knowing how many times she had coached him on manners.

"Please!" She gritted her teeth. "But I would have gotten it eventually, you know. I was almost done when you showed up."

Natsu just laughed. But he very kindly lifted up Erza's torso, leaving Lucy to carry her lower half. What was it about him that made her half want to punch the living daylights out of him, and half hug him out of relief?

With the two of them working together, they eventually made it outside to the glass coffin (although Erza was not quite in pristine condition—it was  _hard_ trying not to crash into things!). They prayed silently that Erza would wake up without noticing the abnormally high number of dents in her armor…

Lucy waved her hand and sealed the glass coffin. Looking at the too pale lips and vivid scarlet hair, she shivered. There just wasn't something quite right about this scene—it was oddly reminiscent of…death.  _It just looks that way, Lucy, relax! She'll be back to normal once Jellal gets here!_

She glanced over at Natsu, whose worry was similarly etched on his face.

"It's just…weird seeing her like that." Natsu felt as if he was truly attending the funeral of one of his beloved friends.

"I know, but everything will be fine after Jellal kisses her awake." Lucy tried to say reassuringly, but even she could hear the doubt in her voice.

Natsu gave a long, hard look—surprisingly intense and serious for the mischievous fire mage. "Do you believe in it?"

"Believe in what?"

"True love's kiss."

Lucy looked at him, her eyes searching his. She almost wanted to look away from his intensity—why was she feeling so uncomfortable? "Why are you asking?"

Natsu shrugged, his eyes flickering to her lips. "I dunno."

Had she imagined that? "I guess I do believe in it." She said nervously.

He took a step closer. And then another. As he began to open his mouth, words on the brink of his tongue—

He suddenly backed away, making room for a new arrival.

Jellal had come.

And Lucy was almost disappointed at the interruption, her curiosity burning. What was Natsu about to say?

"She's…dead?" Jellal looked shell-shocked, his eyes only focused upon Erza.

"Not dead, but simply asleep." Lucy said gently. She had returned to her normal appearance, utterly unrecognizable as the Queen to Jellal without her long black robes. "It'll take true love's first kiss to wake her up."

Jellal nodded. "The power of love, isn't it?"

"Yes." Lucy waved her hand to allow the glass lid to melt away.

He stared at Snow White's rarely shown vulnerability, her face peaceful. With the removal of the glass lid, it was almost as Erza's armor had been stripped along with it—finally revealing her true self, beyond the cold iron that hid her heart. This was the true Erza Scarlet, and she was lovely in her fragile strength.

And just as instinctively as he had pulled her out of the well before, Jellal bent down and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. Again, he could not explain what had prompted his action, but he knew it felt  _right_.

Lucy held her breath. This was the moment—the story was finally drawing to a close.

And then Natsu spoke up, shattering the moment. "She's not waking up."

And then Lucy's blood was like ice, and her eyes widened with fear. Natsu finally voiced the horrifying thought that was on everyone's minds.

"Why…isn't she waking up?"


	16. Fate Is Cruel

"This can't be!" Jellal cried out desperately. He leaned down, his lips brushing Erza's again. "How could fate tell me that this was all meant to be and rip it all to shreds? I knew we were meant to meet at the wishing well—I know it! And this kiss—it was our destiny!"

There was no other explanation for why he, a solitary man with no memories, had acted irrationally and rescued the girl when he had seen her fall. There was simply no other explanation for the rush of warmth he had felt when his lips met hers. It was fate. Fate had dictated their meeting, yet how could it drag his newfound hope away like this?

Lucy started to shake. "What have I done? Erza!" Her shriek was as sharp as glass, her horror evident on her face. " _Erza_!" Tears slowly slid down her cheeks like sparkling pearl drops hanging from a delicate earlobe.

Jellal frantically checked for her pulse. The cumbersome weight of grief upon his shoulders only grew heavier as his fingers traced her wrists, hearing her steady heartbeat pulse back in reply. Not only had a delicate maiden lost her life before her years of youth had faded, but it was the fatal demise of opportunity that pained him the most. She would be forever resigned to eternal sleep, the glories of life never to be hers. The could haves, would haves—this possible future of happiness had died along with Erza Scarlet.

"She's supposed to wake up!" Natsu kept muttering, his fists clenched. "She's supposed to wake up!"

It had started off so light-hearted, almost playful…

How had everything gone so wrong?

"It's my fault!" Lucy suddenly hissed. "I killed her." She sank to her knees, crying in earnest.

"You didn't do it. She's not dead." Natsu's voice was tight, emotions threatening to spill over, with only his willpower restraining his grief. This wasn't their Erza, yet they looked and acted so similar…

"She's as good as dead because of me! Now she'll never wake up!"

"You didn't do it!" Natsu repeated almost harshly. "It's these stupid stories that we're stuck in! They're making you do things you don't want to do, and when you don't do them, fate follows through anyway." He kicked at the glass coffin angrily. "You did nothing wrong!"

"I-I just want to go home, Natsu." She looked up at him with her tear-stained face. "I m-miss Fairy Tail!" She had tried so hard to act brave like Natsu throughout each story, but her courage had been smashed to pieces, her optimism chiseled down into shreds.

Natsu bent down on his knees, clasping both her hands. "Me too." He pulled off his scarf, gently dabbing at the tears at her face.

"I know it's not our Erza, but what have I done?" She hiccupped.

"You did this?" Jellal jerked Lucy up off the ground, yanking Natsu away.

Lucy instantly closed her eyes, bracing herself for the hit she knew she deserved.

And perhaps a hit would have been infinitely less painful than those soulful, pained eyes staring into hers, Jellal only dropping her unceremoniously back down.

_Monster._ He didn't say it—but he didn't need to. Lucy heard it anyway.

_Is that what I am?_ She had played around with dark magic, toyed with Erza and Jellal like mere puppets on a string. She even pathetically fancied herself as some sort of majestic heroine, a Mirajane or a Kagura. Strong, powerful, hadn't that all she wished she could be? And despite her claims of pure motivations, all she had truly wanted was to go home and selfishly finish the story. She had thought only of herself, and spared no thought for the consequences. Wouldn't that make her a monster?

"I'll fix it! I'll make everything go back!" She wailed, forcing herself to stand upon unsteady feet.

"It's too late." Jellal's eyes were fixed upon the ground. He made no acknowledgement of Lucy's attempts to move.

_Too late? But…why?_  And then her steps slowed as she heard a sizzle.

The lights had reappeared.

The beautiful golden fireflies that had danced so playfully were no more—these glowed painfully crimson, swirling at her ankles furiously like a swarm of violent fiends. And each time a red spark collided with her skin, a terrifyingly bright welt appeared.

It was a warning. Stray off the path, they seemed to say, and you'll burn. Leave the story's path, and find yourself dancing in iron hot, ruby slippers.

Try it again, and perhaps this won't be the only story failing to reach a Happily Ever After.

"No! They can't come back now!" She continued to stumble towards the glass coffin, her feet burning with agony.

But stories always come to an end, and the end had certainly come for the main character. And what fairy tale continued without its princess? The tale of Snow White was drawing to a close…

Beside her, Natsu was struggling, though admittedly, he was less affected by the flames. Yet looking Lucy's painfully burned feet made him wish a thousand times that he could take her torture and suffer alone instead. He hated seeing her face wince in anguish, her delicate skin peeling and welting...

"I'm going to save her!" Lucy's voice broke, but she refused to give up.

Natsu grabbed her hand. "We'll save her together!"

The red lights snapped and tore at their clothes, slowly climbing their ascent upwards. Natsu and Lucy were already half faded, only their upper torsos remaining.

"Keep going!" Lucy cried. "I'm not giving up!"

Lucy threw what remained of her fading body onto the glass, pounding her fists desperately.

"Erza!" A wail ripped from her throat. "No,  _Erza_!"

The lights had crawled up her arms, her shoulders almost transparent.

"Stop! Let me stay!"

The scarlet sparks were relentless in their onslaught, and within seconds, Lucy and Natsu had disappeared into a flourish of red flame.

Was this the end? Would the powers that Lucy had so desperately believed in—magic, true love, and friendship—simply not strong enough?

They had been too late.

* * *

Jellal stumbled into the dwarves' tiny cottage, sinking into a chair. He couldn't think, he didn't want to—

_Smash!_ Almost involuntarily his hands had reached for the vase upon the table, flinging it upon the floor. He didn't hesitate to pick up yet another ceramic, reveling in the sound of shattering dishes. Until blood was dripping down his hands and glass had coated the ground like a fine layer of snow, he would refuse to stop.

Breathing heavily, he surveyed the damage with unfeeling, cold eyes. He sat down, numb. One plate had been left untouched—crumbs still littering across its surface. It had been moved aside hastily, as if it had been recently been used…A sticky fork, still smudged with whatever gummy substance had coated it previously, had been haphazardly dropped onto the table...

A toppled over basket sat beside it, enticing him with its appealing contents. A single slice had been removed from an otherwise whole cake…was this what had caused Erza's deep slumber?

Without thinking, Jellal instantly shoved a piece into his mouth. He would be damned if he let cruel Fate encroach upon him twice after. Only one thought remained in his head as his eyes began to flutter closed.

_Perhaps eternity wouldn't be so bad…if it was with Erza._

* * *

Over the past hundreds of years, villagers and curious passerby had flocked to see the strange glass coffin with its most peculiar inhabitants. The dwarfs, and later their children, would politely turn them away time and time again, citing their wishes for privacy. Yet every once in a while, a mischievous child would steal away into the night, peering into its glass depths under the pale moonlight.

Underneath the cherry blossoms, untouched by both rain and snow, lay the same glass monument that had been erected on that one fateful day. If one were to look inside, one would see two figures at peace, their breathing in sync. As the years passed, their hands had shifted, allowing for their fingers to meet and intertwine together.

"What a tragedy." A villager would sigh, gossiping to her neighbors. "They were both so young..."

"But why, Mama? Why is it a tragedy?" A curious little girl would pipe up. "Don't you think…they could be happier now?"

"Oh hush, you silly thing. What would you know about this?" And the little girl would be silenced, still adamantly believing she was correct.

The dwarfs had returned home many, many years ago, and had found an unusual man slumbering upon their kitchen table that night. Noting the expensive cravat and the insignia on his face, they had correctly guessed he was of royal blood. They had very benevolently carried him to the glass coffin, placing the prince by the side of his princess.

Perhaps the little girl was right. Hadn't they escaped a terrible past, a lackluster life? They had trumped fate, despite its mercilessness. For their only enemy was time, and Jellal had conquered even that by joining Erza in her eternal slumber. A kiss may not have saved Erza, but this sacrifice…if this wasn't the true power of love, what was?

For Jellal had wished for a new future—a future filled with good and kindness and Erza. And the eons spent under the ensnaring tendrils of sleep would be passed until the day they would awake from eternity. Hundreds of years would disappear, yet life would begin again the day their eyelids flickered open.

And with this hope buried deep inside of him, Erza and Jellal slumbered on, hand in hand, side by side.

For the day that they should wake...would draw by very, very soon.

And they would finally live happily ever after.


	17. Cursed

Things had changed.

For better or worse, well…that had been yet to be determined.

Those red lights...what did they mean? 

All Lucy knew was that she had appeared somewhere entirely new, huddled on the floor, tears still staining her pale cheeks. The welts had thankfully disappeared, yet the sting of pain in her chest was a constant reminder of her grief. Cold tile met cold skin, her ashen face glowing in the dim firelight.

An evil queen had finally won—and Lucy had lost.

"You're crying." A gruff voice thundered above her. It was a statement, a mere fact uttered almost monotonically. But there was an undeniable feeling of comforting warmth as a large hand gently patted her head. Her stomach twisted, threatening to wrench free from her body. She thought she would never hear his voice this way again…

"Father?"

It was indeed Jude Heartfilia, the kind, if somewhat brusque man who had disappeared along with Layla's early death. The distance between Lucy and her father had grown as the vestiges of time trailed onward…and Lucy couldn't help but to long for her childhood nostalgias.

"Child, it pains me to leave you, but I must leave to town. You have known this for weeks now." His words could have been interpreted as harsh, but this was simply Jude's nature.

"I know." Lucy numbly played along, her thoughts still wandering back to Snow White and the last story's tragic ending. If she were to fail again…what would happen next? And imagining her estranged father as the next helpless target—that only strengthened her resolve. She would be strong, strong enough to protect everyone in this story!

"Would you like me to bring you anything from town?"

"No, it'll be all right." She said half-heartedly. "Couldn't I go with you?" It was foolish of her, she knew, trying desperately to reconcile with someone who wasn't even her father. But the similarities in their stern eyes, that forgiving smile…

"I'm afraid the woods are simply too dangerous. It's best that you stay here."

The woods? Already, her instincts were screaming wildly at her.  _No father ever survives the woods in a fairy tale…which one am I in?_

"I'll bring you a present when I get back. Farewell…my dearest Belle."

Oh. Oh my.

Now, didn't that name ring a bell?

* * *

Anger, grief's irate companion, had taken Natsu in its menacing clutches. While Lucy had expressed anguish in the loss of Snow White, Natsu had refused to cry. But the moment his sandals had touched down upon the ground in this new story, he had lashed out in his blind fury, still screaming at the lights to take him back.

Perhaps the room (which had only been half-destroyed in his wrath) would have been fully devastated if not for the concerned whispers picked up by Natsu's sensitive ears.

"The master's at it again." A heavy sigh resonated from outside the door.

"Yet another outburst?"

"Oh, he'll never change."

Natsu flung the door open. These comments were all quite typical to him (after all, he was rather rowdy—but hey, everyone at Fairy Tail enjoys a good fight or two, right?), but what was  _not_ typical were the speakers.

"Come on out and say that to my face!" He roared.

Someone coughed slightly. "Down here, master."

A highly entertained mug of foaming beer (if a mug can look entertained, of course), a shabby looking clock, and an extremely concerned candlestick holder greeted him at the bottom of his feet.

"You talk!" His eyes bulged out.

"Of course we do!"

"But…you're objects!"

"Humph, don't rub it in! It's because of you that we're like this anyway!"

"Because of me?"

"You went along and just  _had_ to say no to the mean witch, huh? Thanks for sharing the curse with us. It was very much appreciated." The tankard said sarcastically (surprisingly sounding exactly like Cana).

"W-wait, I did this to you?"

"Unfortunately."

"Look, boy. Do you not remember anything at all? Clear up that old noggin of yours!" The tiny clock shouted, jumping up on down on its tiny legs.

Wait…was that Makarov's voice?

Natsu, while normally quite slow on the uptake, was hit by a sudden realization. "You were all human once, right?"

The little candlestick (who eerily sounded like Lisanna Strauss) finally chimed in. "So were you…once."

And then he saw the sharp claws that had formed, the scales that trailed up his arm in an unnerving pattern. He carefully felt the top of his head, fingers coming into contact with ridged horns. His fangs had lengthened, almost scraping the delicate skin below his lips.

_I'm…a beast._

* * *

Lucy tapped her foot anxiously. Her father had promised to return by sundown, and the sun had already begun its heavenly descent down to earth.

And she had promised herself that if he had failed to return, she would brave the woods herself to look for him. She would be damned if she let another innocent soul get harmed again!

Her father's warning of the woods' dangers only reconfirmed her thoughts. She was the Beauty, wasn't she? This story was a tale as old as time…

Beauty and the Beast.

"Alright, I'm done waiting." She tied her hair up hurriedly in its trademark style, wrapping a long coat around her shoulders.

Closing the door tightly behind her, Lucy stepped out of the tiny house onto rough cobblestone.

Wanting nothing but a quick journey, she walked hurriedly through the streets of the village. Her hopes were dashed by the appearance of someone she had desperately wished she could forget.

"Belle!"

Could she perhaps pretend that she hadn't heard him? Her feet moved quicker.

" _Belle_!"

A beaming face suddenly appeared in front of her. "Your hero Gaston is here! Where are you going, my fair princess?"

"Hello, Gaston." Lucy groaned internally, staring into the love-struck face of Dan Straight. "I'm sorry, but I really must go…"

"Wouldn't you much rather stay and chat? Or how about spending a little time to admire these guns?" He flexed, while Lucy gagged. Nothing ruined a girl's stomach quite like an overgrown buffoon.

"I'm sort of busy right now. Next time?"

By now, the entire town appeared to be eavesdropping on their conversation. Several village maidens seethed jealously as they saw Belle standing next to their handsome beloved. Others looked strangely at the girl who always appeared to have her nose buried in a book—where was her book today?

"But you haven't heard my story! Lemme tell you about the time my muscles and I—"

"Oh, how simply fascinating! Really, I need to go now." She clapped a hand over his mouth, cutting him off.

"She touched me! Oh, it's true love!"

Had he been taking lessons from Juvia?

Lucy decided she didn't even want to imagine that horrifying thought (who would inflict that sort of torture on oneself?) and began to start walking faster. Her nerves were begging for her to high tail out of this traumatic experience, and  _immediately_.

Suddenly, she realized why Belle had gravitated towards the Beast. At this point, she herself would do  _anything_  to escape this irritating man.

Leaving a swooning Gaston behind her, Lucy headed off into the woods, shuddering.

* * *

Natsu looked at his trembling hands.

"This is who I am?"

Perhaps he never would have minded so much before, but now…now all he could think about was the reaction of a certain blonde. When had things changed? Why did her opinion of him matter so much to him? His heart sinking, he tried to imagine Lucy brushing her lips over his cheeks like she had done only one story before. And every single time, he saw repulsion and fear in her eyes.

He was a monster…no, a demon. And Lucy, her head in the clouds and her eyes devouring yet another book, wanted a Prince Charming. And never had he wanted to sweep her off her feet more, but like this?

For who could ever…love a beast?

"Master?" Lisanna the candlestick piped up. "Is everything alright?"

"Show me around." Natsu commanded, ignoring her question. He was entirely unfamiliar with this story (although he had heard this was a favorite story of Levy's), and was determined to learn as much as possible.

The flames bobbed a nod in reply, confused. But she figured the master was simply being stubborn (or forgetful, really, either one was a possibility).

As the two headed down a long, dark corridor, Makarov—err, Cogsworth sighed. "That poor, poor child."

Cana simply laughed. "Lighten up, gramps! Have a drink or two!" She invitingly sloshed beer all over his finely tuned parts, leaving Makarov to curse and sputter.

* * *

By now, Lisanna and Natsu had explored almost every nook and cranny in the castle, and had met some awfully strange figures along the way.

The vanity set had introduced herself as Mirajane, the butcher knife (one of the most terrifying, menacing household objects alive) named Erza had scared the living daylights out of Natsu, and the little Webster dictionary that happily shouted out fancy words at the top of her lungs offered Natsu several synonyms to expand his vocabulary as well as her name, Levy. Gray had wandered by as a strange coatrack (ironic, as Natsu later pointed out—for when did Gray ever wear enough clothes to hang up?), followed by a excited mop version of Juvia. Asuka appeared accompanied with her mother, Bisca in a darling little set of tea. And to Natsu's horror, Gajeel was delegated to the role of a napkin.

"But why?" He asked himself, thinking of the appropriateness of Erza as a knife. "Why did some of these make total sense, but others fail completely?"

Lumiere—, or rather, Lisanna, finally stopped at the foot of a long, winding staircase. "This is the West Wing." She said hesitantly. "We don't really have to see it if you want…"

Natsu shrugged, and began to climb the stairs. "We might as well see everything, right?"

Lisanna's heart sank, knowing this would be the hardest part of the tour. "I guess so…"

They arrived at the top of the tower, Lisanna's flames flickering out of sheer anxiety.

Natsu's hand reached out to grab the doorknob.

"Wait, are you sure you want to see it?" Lisanna made one last desperate attempt to stop him.

"There's something in there, isn't there?" He turned and looked at her strangely. "I  _have_  to see it."

Even as his old childhood friend, she had clearly underestimated his intelligence.

The door swung open at the twist of the knob, and Natsu was greeted by a warm, glowing light.

"What's this?" He asked, peering closer. It was a single flame, somehow trapped inside a glass container.

"It's been here ever since the curse started. It's been growing dimmer every day that passes by."

"And when it burns out?"

"The curse will remain forever. It must be broken before the flame fades away."

"How do I break the curse?" Natsu asked with a gleam of hope in his chest.

Lisanna whispered almost reverently. "Learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last cinder perishes."

And the tiny little spark of hope in him died.


	18. Beastly Charm

Jude Heartfilia was almost certainly, undeniably…not rich. Which, while a sharp contrast from his lavish lifestyle in Magnolia, meant that he had to travel by foot.

He never really minded the long walk from his village to town though. The air was crisp, and the solitary nature of the woods created the perfect atmosphere for a little thinking. Normally, his thoughts wandered to his deceased beloved, Layla. But today, he found himself gravitating towards a new topic—his daughter.

Was she safe? Was she happy? Layla's tragic passing had left behind a vast chasm that neither Jude nor Belle could breach. Belle had shed away her dependency like a cast-off cloak, growing withdrawn and remote. He was not ignorant of the whispers following his daughter, jeering taunts and mock pity for the girl's strangeness. In a village where girls led a role of stifled domesticity, Belle was simply too wild, too opinionated.

All Jude wanted was for his lovely Belle to be happy again, to sing aloud with her ringing voice and to burst into peals of laughter. And he was growing older as well…wasn't it time to start thinking about Belle's marriage?

Someone who would protect her with all his heart…yes, that would do. Someone who would not shy away from her frankness, or ignore her crackling wit. Someone who could simply be a friend to his sweet daughter.

But surely there was no  _man_  in the kingdom who could possibly fulfill all that!

Could…a beast?

Jude heaved a heavy drawstring sack over his shoulder, whistling along as he walked. It was growing dark, he noticed, the branches casting eerie shadows on his face. Had it been this late all along? He typically would have at least reached the crossroads to town by now…

A wolf howled.

Jude hastened his pace. These woods were safe enough for the average passerby in the daylight, but at night—at night, the forest came  _alive_. He had heard terrible rumors, stories of cloaked men and their lips dribbling with red, unsettling screams accompanied by wild howls and mysterious chants, and glowing eyes that appeared to follow one's every move.

Where were the crossroads?

He looked behind his shoulder, growing more and more anxious.

Shouldn't he have turned left by now?

The trees seemed to have come alive, waving their spindly arms back and forth with the wind in a haunting dance. Jude could have sworn he had seen a shadowy figure chasing after him, a phantom merely conjured by his sick imagination.

_Just a little bit more…I'll be home soon!_

Another wolf howled, this time closer.

_Faster, faster!_  He urged his feet onward.

Jude looked around wildly before breaking into a run. And to his horror, the sound of paws tearing across the floor accompanied his own pounding footsteps.

A dozen silver streaks glowed in the moonlight. He stifled a shout, his heart pounding wildly. There were ten, no—twenty! He could almost imagine their jaws snapping at his ankles, the sharp crack of bone breaking…

There! A door!

"Wolves!" Jude yelled hoarsely, pounding at the doors. "Let me in!"

Although it seemed like a lifetime to Jude, the doors finally swung open with a click. He threw himself inside, panting.

"Well, well, well…what do we have here?"

And if Jude thought there was utterly no way he could be any more terrified…well, needless to say he was wrong.

* * *

"A human! A real  _human_!"

"It's the first one that we've seen in since…well, forever!"

Jude tried to choke down his fear. "You talk!"

If a tankard could roll its eyes, it probably would have. "Of course we do! Want a drink?" Cana offered.

"I'll warm you right up!" Lisanna bounded up with her candles all alight. "This is all so  _exciting_!"

"Stop!" Erza the butcher knife screamed, bobbing up and down. "The master said absolutely no humans!"

"But look at the poor dearie! Y'all need to show some manners to the fellow!" The teapot—err, Bisca drawled.

"If we anger the master, we will have failed our rightly, honorable duties as his servants! Punish yourself in retribution immediately!"

The others simply ignored Erza as they continued to aid this curious new guest.

"Whatcha want? I've got a goddamn bar inside of me—you wanna knock yourself out real good?" Cana attempted to pour whiskey into little Asuka, leaving Bisca to shriek at the horror.

Gray hopped over, offering to take his coat (probably the longest time Gray will ever wear clothes), and Lisanna helpfully lit his hair on fire (which was quickly put out by Bisca's tea).

The chaos had drawn Natsu's attention (it was impossible not to notice the rowdiness), who immediately stomped downstairs. "Who dares go here?" Natsu bellowed at the top of his lungs.

"Master, this has absolutely nothing to do with me! Please, hit me for punishment!" Erza bowed down low.

Natsu considered this for a brief second, but abstained when he realized he would in fact be hitting a knife.

"My apologies, sir. I was simply seeking shelter from the wolves." Jude stood up, setting Cana down on a table. He stepped closer to Natsu, his face finally visible.

"Y-you!" Natsu gasped. "You're her father!"

"You know my daughter?" Jude growled. He shot Natsu a look of pure disgust and loathing, although not due to Natsu's abnormal appearance. Had his wonderful daughter been defiled?

"Err, no! Yes! Sort of?" Natsu was now extremely confused. How was he supposed to explain that he knew Jude's daughter from another world?

Jude grabbed his arm, ignoring the scales. "How dare you besmirch my daughter's virtue?"

"W-what?"

"My precious daughter must be protected from the world's perverts like you!"

"It's not like that!"

"We must settle this like men! Sit down!" Jude thundered.

Natsu, the poor boy, sat down immediately.

"What do your parents do?"

Natsu sweated nervously. Was he supposed to say his parents were dead? Somehow he had the feeling that describing Igneel would not go over so well…

"He's a dragon. They breathe fire and stuff."

Jude nodded. That would certainly explain the scales…but Jude wasn't prejudicial, if the man seemed to be an appropriate match for his daughter…

"Can you provide for my daughter? What's your average income?"

"I don't really know what that all means, but I have a castle!" Natsu still had no idea what was going on.

That  _was_  true. Jude stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Do you pay your taxes? You ever read anything by Kemu Zaleon?"

Lisanna giggled at Natsu's confusion as he immediately answered yes to all of these questions (What? It seemed like a better choice than saying no!).

"Do you have honorable intentions towards my daughter?"

Now here was a question Natsu knew the answer to! "Absolutely." He threw in a "sir" in an afterthought.

Jude was rather pleased. Here was a well-cultured, stable, even wealthy man who happened to know his daughter. "I approve of your relationship with my daughter, young man!" Suddenly, his eyes glazed over as he imagined bonding with his new son in law over long talks about politics and football (it's safe to say that Jude tended to have a rather vivid imagination…but just  _slightly_ ).

Before Natsu could explain that Jude had utterly misinterpreted the situation, little Asuka interrupted.

"Look! There's a girl at the door!"

Everyone in the room gasped. "A girl?" Could she be the one to break the curse?

"Yup! And she's  _pretty_!" Asuka beamed cheerfully. "She's here to ask for her father."

Jude and Natsu glanced at each other in shock.

Jude immediately clapped Natsu so hard on the back he almost lurched forward (seriously, this was  _weird_  for Natsu…). "This is your chance, son!"

"Huh? My chance for what?" Natsu was ignored as Jude dragged him into another room.

"Here's the plan…"

* * *

It was so strange to Lucy being on the opposite side of the door for once. "If you don't open up, you'll regret it!" She shouted, readying her foot for a fierce Lucy kick. When had she become the one breaking and entering into other peoples' houses?

"This is your last warning! One…two…" On the count of three, she flung herself forward, determined to find her father.

Unfortunately, the door unlocked as soon as she tried to dash through. Oops. Next time she would leave the whole breaking in thing to Natsu (who had pretty much become an expert after he met Lucy).

And chaos resumed as she shrieked, utterly losing control of her balance. Her arms shot out instinctively to try and break her fall, her face only inches from the cold floorboard…

Suddenly, she was surrounded by warm, gentle arms and was swung back to safety. Her eyes soaked in the scene before her—Natsu was peering down at her, asking if she was alright. Her father was somehow locked behind a barred window—was he shooting Natsu a thumbs up? And why were all of these inanimate objects cheering?

Oh, sweet Mavis.

What was going on?


	19. The West Wing

Really, acting  _that_  bad should be illegal.

"I have…" Natsu paused, searching for the words. Jude quickly began feeding him his lines, mouthing verbal cues dramatically.

"Cantaloupe…no, captured? Yes, captured! I have captured your father!" The flat, toneless voice was back.

"Belle, run! He's a monster!" Jude added helpfully. He sweated nervously—was it possible for his future son in law to sound anymore expressionless?

Lucy simply blinked.

"He will be forever forced to stay in the castle! Forever!" Now  _this_  was a line Natsu remembered!

"Did I mention the forever part?" Natsu added.

"Twice." Lucy rolled her eyes.

Okay, maybe things weren't  _quite_  going to plan. Why wasn't Lucy throwing herself desperately at her father, sobbing and clutching the bars? Where were the tears, the drama? He needed her to offer to stay, damn it!

Jude tried to look pained. "I'm a frail old man, Belle! Please, rescue me!"

Luckily, Lucy caught on promptly. Couldn't she use this to the story's advantage? "Let him go, you monster!" She quickly yelled.

Natsu looked a little hurt. Was he really that bad of a person?

"I'll take his place and stay here instead! Please, please don't hurt him!" She begged, tears threatening to fall from her big, pleading eyes.

Now Natsu felt utterly  _awful_. He wanted to kneel on the floor and beg for forgiveness for hurting this poor Beauty. Lucy's tears were the one thing that he absolutely hated, and to see her so upset—immediately Jude's plan flew entirely out of the window. "H-hey, don't cry!"

"I'll do anything! Let me save my father, please!" She flew across the room towards Jude, feet nimbly dodging the cast of curious household objects.

"Belle, no!" Jude called, acting his heart out.

"I'll remain in the castle forever, Daddy! Leave while you can!" She tugged on the bars fruitlessly.

Sensing she was needed, Lisanna very helpfully melted the bars on Jude's window, allowing for the gleeful man to crawl outside. He was completely willing to sacrifice a few aching joints in that tiny little prison if this would result in grandchildren (he was hoping for thirty…but realistically, maybe just seven was acceptable). And who wouldn't fall utterly head over heels over each other after spending an eternity together?

He began to make his way to the door, discreetly sending Natsu a wink. "Practice safe sex!" Jude mouthed.

Natsu just gaped at him.

As the front door slammed shut, Lucy straightened up and wiped the tears from her eyes. Any trace of her previous woe had instantly faded with the disappearance of her father.

"Really, Natsu? You kidnapped my dad?"

Natsu had no reply.

* * *

Lucy glanced at the boy (if typical boys had fangs and scales, of course) next to her out of the corner of her eye. He had told her he wanted to show her something, but that was the last he had said.

There was an uncomfortable silence as they slowly proceeded up the creaky, timeworn stairs. Lucy didn't exactly know where to start—should she bring up the last unhappy ending with Erza? Or perhaps discuss how they ever ended up in this situation, and what their plan of escape would be? Maybe she should keep it simple, and ask him why a butcher knife was following behind them?

And never,  _never_  had Lucy seen Natsu so reserved and reflective. She almost didn't want to disturb him, this impassive statue that failed to capture the energy and vigor of the pink-haired dragon slayer. Suddenly, she felt awkward, missing the days where he would leap through her window, chattering nonstop about the latest trouble he and Happy had gotten into. What had happened to them?

What…changed?

"We're here." Natsu announced gruffly. He opened the door, holding it open with his foot and gesturing for Lucy to walk inside (To Erza's severe disappointment, he shut the door firmly behind him…how would she eavesdrop now?). "I wanted to show you this."

A dim glow barely brightened the room, barely allowing Lucy to discern anything beyond vague, shapeless shadows. "What is it?" She breathed.

A single flame flickered in the center of the room, burning slowly yet steadily. It lacked intensity, but seemed to grow the slightest bit stronger when Lucy walked into the room.

"It's a curse.  _My_  curse."

Was this the reason Natsu had appeared so quiet?

"How do you break it?" Lucy asked curiously, thinking back to the original story.

Natsu ran a hand through his hair. "Learn to love another and earn her love in return before the last cinder perishes." He recited dutifully.

So the rose had manifested into a flame this time...(rather fitting for the dragon slayer, actually).

Lucy hesitated. "How long will it burn?"

"About two, three days? It doesn't have that long."

Thoughts whirred in Lucy's head. If she was the Beauty, wouldn't she naturally be the one to break the curse? Could she…no, did she love him?

Once, she had laughed in Mira's face as the lovable bartender teased her about her closeness with relationship with Natsu. "You guys are attached at the hip," Mira giggled, "almost like any couple!" Lucy had spat her drink out in horror. But this new adventure had forced her to realize that perhaps she hadn't been entirely honest back then…and not entirely honest with herself either. As each story progressed, she found herself distractedly thinking more and more of a certain friend of hers.

Never had she felt more like a princess than the time Natsu kneeled down and slid his sandals gently on her feet. She didn't need glass slippers, nor did she want them. Didn't she already have enough with just Natsu there by her side? And her heart had leaped to her throat when she saw him falling from that tower—for a world without Natsu would be a very cruel world indeed. Who was the one who had held her hand, carefully supporting her when she had tried so hard to save Erza? Who was the one she could rely on, could trust everything with?

So…did she?

Perhaps the better question was…did he?

"I can say it!" She blurted out without thinking. "I can end the curse. All I need to do is say it, right?"

Natsu slammed his hand almost angrily on the table. "Don't! Don't you dare say it!"

Shocked, Lucy looked up at him. "Y-you don't want me to say it?"

"No! I don't want to hear it!"

Lucy swallowed tightly.  _So, there's my answer, I guess._ Even if she ever figured out how  _she_  truly felt, wouldn't it all be futile?

He would never feel the same way…

Suddenly, Lucy turned away from Natsu and fled the room, tears pricking the back of her eyes.

 _Stupid, stupid! What were you thinking?_  She scolded herself.

"Stop! Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving! You don't want me here anyway!" She choked out, running faster.

"You can't!"

"I can! Go away, Natsu!"

As the stairs faded away, her pounding feet carried her towards the entrance, where she was once again met with the fresh night air. She continued sprinting, drawing closer and closer to the woods. Gentle snow began to fall, gracing her eyelashes and her bare shoulders.

What was she thinking? Why had she been hoping for so much?

Why?

* * *

Natsu balled his hand into a fist, punching the wall as hard as he could.

He pictured Lucy patting his shoulder, saying the three words he desperately wanted to hear. And he only saw pity in her eyes, an emotionless, casual gesture that would only mean nothing. She would never care for him the way that he wanted her to, and that pained him beyond belief.

Sure, she had offered to help him…but Natsu wasn't a fool! He knew that all Lucy wanted was to go home and finish the story…would it even  _mean_  anything? She was only trying to be a friend, and damn it! Natsu didn't think he would be able to handle it if he had heard the words fall from her lips…he wanted it to be  _real_. It was like a taste of a beautiful miracle, only to be cruelly snatched away from him. Everything was hopeless!

For princesses like Lucy…can never love a beast.

She wanted a Prince Charming, a kind gentleman—everything Natsu wasn't. And who was he to deny her happiness?

"Master!" Erza interrupted with a shout, her tinny voice rather well-suited to her knife-like appearance. "It's the girl!"

Natsu shot up immediately. "What is it? Where is she?"

Erza shuddered under his intensity.

"Master…it's the wolves."

* * *

A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! I apologize for the less humorous tone today, but I think a little angst was in order ;) After all, balance is key! So please continue reading and reviewing...and look forward to the fluff that lies ahead! And I promise you all that for every darker chapter I post, there will always be a lighthearted one right around the corner :)

All of your support means so, so much to me! Thank you for rocking my world, and I hope I rock yours too!


	20. Only Friends?

It was her name.

Just that one simple word sent him into a flurry, his nerves screaming at him to run, to find her, to rescue her.

Although he never recognized it before, after that fated day in Hargeon town, those two syllables flowed through his thoughts like a never-ending playlist, her dulcet name always at the tip of his tongue.

His feet left wet, steaming patches on the ground, hints of grass peeking from underneath the melting snow. He was definitely burning up now…And Natsu, who ordinarily would have never revealed his fear, was simply  _terrified_. If she had been hurt—

 _Lucy!_  He shouted silently.  _I'm coming!_

_Lucy, Lucy, Lucy…_

* * *

Lucy pressed her back against the tree, whimpering as one of the wolves inched closer. "G-go away!" She eked out.

She had wandered a little too far off the rickety path, the snow only growing heavier. Each little flurry only contributed to her confusion, as they swirled around her dizzyingly. Just as she was beginning to regret her choice (was it too late to return back to the castle? She was cold, damn it!), she had received a less than pleasant greeting from a pair of eyes. Red,  _glowing_  eyes.

If she had been eager to return before, well, now she was closing to giving up everything for the warm safety of Natsu's castle.

And instantly, a horde of silver shadows had leapt out of the bushes, surrounding her. The wolves snarled, thick drool hanging menacingly from their pointed fangs. Each unearthly howl sent chills down Lucy's spine, and a fierce undercurrent of fear ran through her nerves like a flurry of ice.

Hadn't she been warned of the woods? Sometimes, she really, really regretted not listening to her father more. What was she supposed to do in this situation again? Play dead? Make a run for it? "Please, Mavis! I'll eat my vegetables every day, and stop teasing Happy, and apologize to Natsu…and I'll tell Erza that I was the one who ate her cake…and…and I'll even pay my rent on time! Just please, get me out of here!" She prayed.

Almost as if Mavis had replied, she was suddenly filled with warmth, feeling courage swell up inside her and strengthen her every being. Had the First Master responded? It was as if Mavis was urging her forward, to be brave and strong. She couldn't just helplessly cower and wait for someone to rescue her every single time! She was a Fairy Tail member, and she would carry her title with dignity.

She had always prided herself on her quick wit—well, that was about to come into play right about now!

Surprisingly, Lucy and bookish Belle appeared to resemble each other quite a bit—they were both extremely clever and bold. She had gleaned several key facts about wolves during her reading as a child—she knew she could rationalize her way out! Even Mavis had appeared to offer her strategic aid, for Lucy suddenly knew what to do.

Knowing that looking directly at any of the wolves was a sign of aggression, Lucy instead focused on the ground in front of her. Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the sharp, barely discernable rock lying at her feet. With a quick movement, she had grabbed the heavy object, throwing it as hard as she could at the wolf's snout (which was surprisingly easy—all she had to do was recreate her anger whenever anyone dared intrude in her apartment). Refusing to look behind her, she blindly thrust herself upwards into the tree's branches.

"Ouch!" Someone cursed.

Lucy shrieked. Could these wolves talk? Safely nestled in her cozy abode of branches, she finally found the courage to look down at the scene below her.

The wolves were still there, unfortunately. But the splashes of grey, conspicuously clashing with the whiteness of the snow, clustered together around a very noticeable, very  _striking_  head of bright pink.

"Natsu?" She called out hopefully.

The poor boy, rubbing his face, looked at her with relief and a little suspicion. "Lucy! I was here to save you and all, but this flying rock came at me out of nowhere. You wouldn't happen to know who threw it, right?" He sent her a reproachful glare.

Lucy looked a little sheepish, knowing what he was thinking. "It's not that! I'm not  _that_  mad…I guess my aim was way worse than I thought."

He shrugged, secretly relieved that their playful banter had been restored. "I'll let you get away with it this time." He turned to the more present issue at hand.

"You wanna fight? I'm all fired up!" He launched himself at the wolves, glancing at Lucy periodically in the middle of their tussle.

"Pay attention to the wolves, damn it! Stop looking at me! Look to your left! There's one behind you! If you die on me, I'll kill you twice over!" Was that Lucy's way of being encouraging?

Natsu grumbled at Lucy's ramblings. It was like having a backseat driver, but let's…not think about transportation right now.

But perhaps there was some truth to her words, as a particularly aggressive wolf pounced onto Natsu from behind. He hit the ground with a grunt, wrestling with the wolf.

"Natsu!"

Instantly Lucy found herself crouched in the snow, standing protectively over Natsu. "Bad dog!" She crossed her arms threateningly.

The wolf whined in confusion, but surprisingly backed off from the aggressive newcomer.

She had instinctively jumped down when she had seen Natsu fall, but what was she supposed to do now? She gulped.

The wolves had shaken off their temporary confusion, now encircling around them as if drawn to their fear. Natsu had slowly gotten up from the ground, his firm back pressing against Lucy's. The cuts on his body wept tears of bright red and the sting of fresh wounds reminded him that he was not as invincible as he often thought, but still, he was a pillar of strength to Lucy. As the wolves began inching forward, teeth bared and eyes flashing dangerously, Lucy thought the end was finally near.

"For our master!" A metallic voice shouted suddenly at the top of her lungs. "Charge!"

With a flurry of screams, an army of household objects swarmed into the battlefield, instantly changing the numbers. Erza bravely led her soldiers forward, her blade glinting in the sunlight.

And chaos resumed.

Lisanna had set several wolves on fire, their yelps growing louder as the scent of burnt fur filled the air. Juvia began relentlessly whacking at the wolves, screeching loudly about the wolves and their close proximity to Gray-sama. Teamwork and an appreciation for fine teas was something both Bisca and Asuka excelled at, and to no one's surprise, Earl Grey made quite a fine weapon. And Gajeel simply fluttered uselessly, occasionally getting stepped on (he simply blended in too much with the snow, after all).

"Take the mistress back home, master! We'll handle things here!" Erza yelled, secretly enjoying herself as she slashed and hacked (some of her favorite hobbies, of course).

Natsu spared a single second to stare at Erza in terrified wonder, but agreeably hobbled along behind Lucy as she pulled him by the scarf.

Needless to say, the wolves were taken care of rather quickly.

* * *

"You're an idiot." Lucy tugged at the bandage wrapped around Natsu's arm even harder. She was kneeling next to the warm fireplace, which the coals (Romeo) had so attentively lit for her.

"Ouch!" Natsu whimpered, pressing an ice pack to his nose with one hand and swatting at Lucy with his other.

"Oh, don't be such a baby."

He watched as Lucy expertly tied the gauze around his arm and reached for a bottle of disinfectant. "When did you learn how to do all this anyway?"

"I had to learn, didn't I?" Lucy shot him a glare. "All those times you guys have gotten injured…was I supposed to do nothing?"

"You clearly didn't learn enough."

Lucy only tugged harder, making the poor boy yelp.

She worked in silence for a few more minutes, awkwardly looking at the ground. "…Thanks. For coming back to get me and all."

"About what you said back then—" They both said at the same time.

"Sorry, you first." Lucy giggled a little.

"Nah, you go ahead."

"I just wanted to say sorry. I didn't know what I was thinking, running off like that. It was my fault, I sort of overthought things…"

"And I'm sorry for yelling. Things have been sort of complicated after this whole story business, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"Don't worry about it. We've been through a lot… So, friends?" She smiled weakly at him.

Natsu hesitated a little, but accepted Lucy's outstretched hand.

"Yeah, friends."

They had reestablished their old rapport now...

But why did he feel so unsettled inside?

* * *

He had very politely shown her to her room and left immediately after, which was a little strange. Why wasn't he trying to barge his way in like he normally did? Lucy almost missed the intrusion.

She flung herself onto the bed, pounding her fists angrily on the soft, downy pillows. Everything was messed up, everything had changed, everything was… _different_. They were distant, mere travelers walking along different paths. What used to be easy laughter had been replaced with a tense awkwardness. Could she have been the one to mess up their friendship?

"It's my fault, isn't it?" She moaned into her pillow. "I shouldn't have tried to end his curse."

"Sounds like you're a bit conflicted, darling."

Lucy nodded in agreement, before almost falling off the bed in alarm. "Who's there?"

"It's just little ole me." The voice giggled. "I'm right over here!" The dresser waved cheerfully at Lucy.

Lucy rubbed her eyes, and decided internally that she would not say anything or question why on earth the vanity was talking to her. "H-hello."

The dresser clucked her tongue. "It's boy trouble, isn't it?" It sound almost a little  _too_  interested in what was going on, rather like a certain barmaid…

"Mirajane!" Lucy gasped, connecting the dots in her head. While she had remembered the story's cast of enchanted objects, she would have never expected Mira to manifest herself as one!

"You know me? Even better! Go on, plop yourself down and tell me everything that's troubling you, sweetheart!" Mira prompted invitingly. "It's the master, isn't it?" She added conspiratorially.

She giggled at the shocked look on Lucy's face. "He's the only man in the castle, and I'm almost positive you weren't entranced by the coat rack. Simple reasoning!"

"We're just friends." Lucy was quick to add. She was almost terrified by Mira's acute ability and her adorable yet maddening meddlesomeness.

"Oh, please!" Mira huffed. "You're scared, aren't you?"

Again, Lucy was alarmed of just how accurate Mira was—how on earth did she know things even Lucy herself wasn't privy to?

"You're special to him—a blind man could see that much. And it's as clear as day that you feel the same. So what are you waiting for?"

There were just so many things that could go wrong, so many risks she was unwilling to take—she could lose her best friend. And she knew that love was the last thing on Natsu's mind, who had never shown interest in it before. Why would she ruin something beautiful with her own tragic selfishness? It seemed he was content with their friendship, and she would uphold his wishes to the best of her ability.

Mira looked as if she understood what Lucy was thinking. "There's no need to think about it, Lucy. Love wasn't meant to be logical, a series of mere mathematical outcomes! It's a wish on a whim, a stolen chance…sometimes, it's just meant to be."

Lucy wanted to say something, but her words of protest died on her lips. She knew there was no sense in arguing against the love-struck barmaid.

"Now that we've got everything figured out, we must dress you in your absolute best!" Mira swung her doors wide open, revealing hangers and hangers full of sparkling, elegant fabrics. "For tonight's dinner, you'll be our most honorable guest!"  _So the mistress and the master are on the rocks? We'll see how we can fix this..._

Lucy blinked, already suspicious of what was going on.

_Dinner?_


	21. Be Our Guest

"You've changed."

Natsu had a rather high tolerance for strange things (after all, he  _had_  lived with Fairy Tail), but even he was unsure of how to properly communicate with a coatrack. Hell, he was even unsure where to  _look_  for eye contact.

"You don't fight anymore, you barely yell—nothing has been destroyed in the last  _three_  days!" The coatrack bounced up and down emphatically to prove its point. "What the hell is wrong with you, flame for brains?"

Natsu just shrugged, oddly reminiscent of the time Gildarts had left him unable to say a word at Tenrou.

"I'm gonna call Gramps. This just ain't normal." Gray bounded off, the impact of his little legs echoing down the dank hallway. Although yes, there were moments when Gray wanted to bash Natsu's head in, at times like these—well, he was worried, damn it!

The sound of ominous ticking filled the room only a few minutes later, leaving Natsu cringing at the future lecture to come.

"M'boy, you're lost, aren't you?" Makarov hobbled up onto Natsu's bed, groaning as his joints—err, parts creaked.

"Lost?"

"Perhaps not in the traditional sense, but yes, lost. Mindlessly wandering and unable to properly orient yourself—does that sound like someone you know?"

"I'm not sure I understand…"

Makarov sighed. "You've had the toughest time out of all of us here. Sure, we might have complained once or twice," He added in an afterthought. "but you alone carry the burden of setting all of us free. I apologize on all of the servants' behalf for not recognizing your difficult task."

"But it's my fault anyway, isn't it?" Natsu said bitterly.

Makarov ticked almost angrily. "No! We too turned the enchantress away from our doors, so the blame cannot be solely placed upon your shoulders. You were the strongest of us, you know. Always bringing in hope whenever we felt failure was surely to come…always smiling despite the latest setback. That was  _you_."

Natsu couldn't help but to notice the use of past tense.

"Then that girl came, and for a little while, it seemed that hope had once again entered our halls. But you stopped smiling. Can you tell me why that is?"

A little surprise flickered over Natsu's face.

"You care for the girl."

It was a statement, a simple and complete fact.

"You care enough to want her to have something better. But are you not worthy of the same?"

"Just look at me, Gramps! Do  _you_  think I could deserve a girl like her?"

"I do."

Sensing that Gramps was beginning to win the argument, Natsu changed tactics.

"She wouldn't want me anyway."

"Have you taken a chance?" Makarov countered.

"We're only friends! I can't lose her as a friend too!"

"It would be ridiculous if you both didn't travel this far along this path. There was bound to be a change—you can't hide from it!"

"I can!" Natsu said stubbornly. "Just watch, I'll fix everything and make sure everything is back to normal." His resolve set, he sprung up out of the mattress and headed out to look for Lucy.

Makarov sighed. He had thought the talk had been going so well...where did he go wrong?

_That poor, poor boy._

* * *

After much shrieking and beating (Lucy was still in the middle of getting dressed), Natsu could safely say that this felt just like old times. He had barged into her room with not even a knock, leaving Mira in giggles and Lucy shooting him her scariest glare.

"Let's go! I have something to show you." He tugged her arm, shooting her a boyish grin.

"Is this like that last time you and Happy decided to show me something?" She grumbled, but acquiesced to his pulling.

"You mean you didn't like meeting our pet griffin?" Natsu said innocently.

"It ate my shoes, Natsu! My expensive, limited edition boots that even Jenny from Blue Pegasus didn't own!" She mourned her tragic loss, sighing heavily.

They turned a corner, where the light progressively grew brighter and the hallways became more and more luxurious.

"Where are we even going?"

Natsu just laughed. "It's a surprise! I saw it when Lisanna was giving me a tour—I think you'll like it though!"

Somehow, Lucy doubted that.

"Close your eyes!" He urged.

"Is it bad I don't trust you anymore?" This seemed like the perfect setup for one of Natsu's famous pranks.

"Have a little faith!" Natsu made sure Lucy's eyes were actually closed, and guided her gently up a flight of stairs.

"Can I open them yet?"

"Almost!"

"How about now?"

"Yup, you can open them now!"

A gasp reverberated in the large antechamber. "It's—"

"All yours." Natsu finished, beaming.

It was an author's dream come true—rich oakwood shelves filled with thousands and thousands of books, each one concealing yet another adventure deeply embedded within its crisp pages. Towers tall enough to reach the heavens themselves could have been built by the sheer amount of novels within this antique library. Lucy reached out hesitantly, her fingertips gently gliding across the weathered spines. She wanted to read each and every one, her eyes devouring the titles hungrily.

"One day you'll be in here too." Lucy's excitement was contagious to him, his trademark fanged grin slowly appearing on his face.

Lucy just nodded, entirely overcome.

"Well, what are you waiting for? There's a whole new world out there waiting for you!" Natsu gestured at the numerous shelves. Wasn't that what Lucy had told him when Natsu curiously wondered why she would much rather focus upon her novel instead of him? He settled back, content to watch as Lucy perused for her latest selection.

The time had passed by pleasantly enough, with Lucy occasionally gasping in delight as she discovered yet another one of her favorite classics. Natsu simply just watched her, stymied by her concentration.

"Is it that much fun?" He hated to interrupt her, but curiosity overtook him.

"There's nothing better!" Lucy smiled, growing more serious. "When I was younger, I would try and hide behind the pages of a book, just to escape. That's why I want to write…there's something so poetically just about returning all the wonderful times other authors have given to me. I want to move readers in the same way that so many others before me have done."

"Igneel never really taught me that much about reading, and I guess I don't really count Erza as a teacher either."

"Well, what if I read for you?"

"You? Read for me?" Natsu considered it for a brief second. "I think…that wouldn't be so bad."

"What do you want me to read?" Lucy was a little surprised at how quickly he agreed, but was pleased nonetheless.

"Read me something you wrote. I wanna hear your writing."

Lucy seemed to waver a little, still a little uncomfortable with anyone other than Levy seeing her writing. But this was Natsu, the person she trusted above everyone else! And if words were truly a reflection of the soul, there was no other person she would rather share it with.

"I guess I could tell you about my latest concept. It's only mere fragments of an idea right now, but it's loosely inspired upon all the chaos going on around us." She grabbed a pen, quickly jotting down a few notes.

Natsu leaned closer, eager to hear Lucy's writing.

Her voice was rich and vibrant, like the low, mellow notes of a cello. "Once upon a time, a young beauty stumbled into the lair of a horrendous beast. The beast was gentle and kind to the beauty, but he was a beast nonetheless. Fearing only tragedy and tears, the beast was afraid to love. But the beauty leaned down low and whispered sweetly in his ear to be not afraid." Her voice dropped lower, almost hauntingly. "For she…would become a beast for him."

Lucy stared down at the piece of paper in her hand, slightly unsure of where to look. "It's just something that occurred to me during this story—I know it's not very good, but I've always been fascinated with twisted fairy tales and—"

"It's amazing, Luce." Natsu said simply. He had no talent for words, no true way to express his awe and admiration. But he was almost painfully aware that there was something in those words that hinted at a complexity beyond its surface. What had she been trying to say? Could she be thinking of not only the real story of Beauty and the Beast but also…their story?

"You really thought it was good?" Lucy flushed at his empathetic nodding. "That's really good to hear, you know."

Just as Natsu was about to say more (he was thinking of asking her exactly what she had meant by her story), a cheerful voice boomed out in the otherwise silent library.

"Ladies and gentleman, dinner is ready!" Mrs. Potts announced, little Asuka giggling right behind her.

* * *

"Hey, Natsu!" Asuka merrily chirped while serving drinks at dinner. "My Mommy sometimes kisses Daddy when they think I'm not watching."

Bisca blushed, which was a very odd sight to see (a teapot rapidly shifting colors is quite a spectacle).

"Do you and Lucy kiss too?" She giggled.

Natsu spat out his soup in a rather unattractive manner, leaving an extremely annoyed Gajeel to clean it up.

Gray oh so helpfully pounded Lucy on the back as she choked. "Asuka, sweetie, we aren't like Mommies and Daddies."

"Do it anyway! It's an order!" Asuka's pleading eyes grew bigger and bigger.

"N-no way!"

"Well, it's not gonna kill you…" Natsu drawled, playfully leaning closer.

"Y-you're kidding!"

There was a loud smacking noise, and suddenly Natsu was on the ground, moaning in pain. Lucy had defensively grabbed Gray, shoving him at Natsu's puckered lips. And unfortunately, this only incited Juvia's anger at her precious Gray-sama getting violated—in which there is no explanation needed for what happened next.

Lucy giggled at the madness that ensued.

_There's never a dull moment in Fairy Tail!_ She thought happily.

It seemed the laughter would never stop, as each servant performed a dazzling array of tricks and talents (well, unless you count the moment when Gajeel the napkin decided to sing. The smiles were all rather forced after he had finished). Asuka and her sweet voice led Lucy to coo over the adorable little teacup, while Juvia revealed a slightly  _too_  intense poem about her beloved Gray. Cana had to be forcibly removed from the scene as she drunkenly tried to convince everyone (including herself) that she was in fact an excellent dancer. Juggling several balls of flame, Lisanna stole the show with her elaborate performance.

But perhaps the performance that caught the most attention featured the unknowing beauty and her beast. Everyone was simply  _fascinated_  by this lovable and bright new guest and her ability to bring about the never ending smiles gracing their master's face. Never had the servants felt so optimistic about the curse! They watched Natsu and Lucy out of the corner of their eye, focusing intently on all of their interactions.

And thus, dinner had drawn to a close (with thankfully, only two tables having been destroyed and only one slightly dangerous food fight) to Mirajane's immense satisfaction (although why no one noticed why a dresser was peering through the door is still an unsolved mystery). Her two victims—err, friends? (Yes, perhaps that was the better term) were both grinning from ear to ear, and even grumpy Gajeel had looked pleased at the outcome.

There was only one more part to her brilliant (if she does say so herself, of course) plan, and Mira quivered in excitement. Curious? Well, let's just say Lucy would quickly become the belle of the ball quite soon...

She stared happily at the unaware Lucy, stars glittering in her mischievous eyes. Lucy would thank her later for all trouble, wouldn't she?

She would finally become the godmother of thirty children.

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr: https://pocketconstellation.tumblr.com/ Please follow if you're interested in seeing more of my writing! I'll follow back!
> 
> Posted on fanfiction.net as LostInWonderland35.


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